Cyberpunk 2077 Has Sections That Can Trigger Epileptic Seizures

Update: CD Projekt Red has issued a statement thanking Game Informer for bringing the epileptic issues to light. The studio pointed to a seizure warning that exists in Cyberpunk 2077's EULA while also confirming that a separate warning will be added as soon as possible.

The original story follows below...

Cyberpunk 2077 is releasing on December 10, and the first reviews and impressions are coming in now. Fans have been eagerly anticipating the game, from The Witcher 3 developer CD Projekt Red, for a long time now--it was first announced back in 2012. But now that it's out, some fans might want to be wary of how or if they play it, as in its day one form the game has the potential to trigger epileptic seizures.

This news comes from a detailed PSA via Game Informer, where Liana Ruppert has shared her personal experience with the game. "During my time with Cyberpunk 2077, I suffered one major seizure and felt several moments where I was close to another one," Ruppert writes.

During the game, Ruppert experienced "a lot of red glitching animations," but due to her monitor's "eye-saving mode," this was not as bad of an issue as it could have been. She identifies the game's clubs and bars as potential "danger zones," and said that some story moments are "highlighted with a flickering pale blue glitch effect". Ruppert suggests turning down screen brightness and testing the game's colorblind options to reduce issues.

Ruppert notes that the game's "Braindance" sequences are very likely to trigger epileptic seizures for certain players. In these sequences, the player character is fitted with a headset that "features a rapid onslaught of white and red blinking LEDs, much like the actual device neurologists use in real life to trigger a seizure when they need to trigger one for diagnosis purposes." This triggered a seizure for her, and Ruppert suggests that players with epilepsy should "look away completely or close their eyes" when V puts the headset on.

The full report is worth a read, and is especially important for epileptic players who want to experience Cyberpunk 2077. Hopefully these issues can be addressed in a future patch to make the game safer and more accessible.

GameSpot's review of Cyberpunk 2077 awarded the game a 7/10. "So much of (Cyberpunk 2077) is superficial set dressing, and there's so much happening all around you--ads going off at all times, gunfights breaking out in the streets, texts coming in about cars you'll never buy--that a lot of the game feels superfluous," wrote reviewer Kallie Plagge. "The side quests and the characters they showcase are the shining beacon through the neon-soaked bleakness of Night City, and they give you room to explore the best the core RPG mechanics have to offer. These are what carried me through an otherwise disappointing experience."