If the first season of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners shattered you, showrunner Bartosz Sztybor wants you to know one thing: you are not ready for what comes next.
During multiple appearances, Sztybor has warned that Season 2 will be darker, bloodier and emotionally heavier than anything the series has delivered so far.
At Anime Expo 2025, where the new season was officially announced by CD Projekt Red and Studio Trigger, he described the tone as “sadder, darker, more raw.” When asked if he ever considered making something more uplifting, he simply said no. Then, with a mix of humor and honesty, he added: “People in Poland are sad. They are born sad, they die sad. I wanted to make the whole world sad.”
From Romantic Tragedy to Harsh Reality
Sztybor recently clarified that Season 2 will abandon the romanticized lens of the first season.
“Edgerunners was like a romanticized vision of being an Edgerunner. Here, we’re showing the truth,” he said.
This time, Night City will be stripped of glamour, stripped of heroism and stripped of the illusion that anyone gets out clean.
No Resurrection, No Redemption
One thing the production has made absolutely clear: David Martinez is not coming back.
CD Projekt Red has confirmed repeatedly that Season 2 is a self‑contained story with a new cast, a new narrative and the same unforgiving city.
“David is dead, but Night City lives on,” the official statement reads.
Characters who died in Season 1 remain dead. The emotional ending of the original series will not be undone.
A New Creative Lineup With Familiar Talent
Season 2 brings back key creative voices while introducing new ones:
- Kai Ikarashi returns as director, known for the acclaimed Episode 6
- Script by Masahiko Otsuka (Gurren Lagann, Promare)
- Character designs by Kanno Ichigo, also from Promare
- Sztybor remains showrunner and head writer, fresh off his Hugo Award win
This team signals a season that will push emotional and visual boundaries even further.
First Look Coming July 3 at Anime Expo
Fans will get their first glimpse of Season 2 on July 3, 2026, during Anime Expo in Los Angeles.
The panel, held at the Crypto.com Arena at 7:30 PM Pacific Time, will feature:
- Ikarashi
- Sztybor
- Executive producer Saya Elder
The presentation promises the first images of the new storyline.
Netflix has not yet announced a release date, but industry expectations point to 2027.
Night City Is Back, and It Is Not Here to Comfort You
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Season 2 is shaping up to be a brutal, unfiltered descent into the truth behind the Edgerunner myth.
No heroes.
No miracles.
Just Night City, hungry as ever.