It Just Had Too High Expectations

Now, look, when it first arrived, Cyberpunk 2077 was a bug-filled mess that failed to meet all the expectations CD Projekt had set for us all. It was a shell of what was promised during its tumultuous development cycle. But even before Phantom Liberty, if you took a deep dive into its world, what you’ll find is a world crafted with a lot of love for the genre.

Nothing in the game proves this more than its absolutely bonkers Easter eggs. From GTA San Andreas to Blade Runner, these Easter eggs pay sweet homages to the genres and stories that influenced Cyberpunk 2077’s own development.

So, keeping that in mind, here are 9 of the most tucked-away such references in the game, proving that even the earlier version of Cyberpunk 2077 deserved way more credit than it got.

9. The John Wick Universe Is Now Canon to Cyberpunk

In Phantom Liberty, there’s a tiny bit of a nod to one of the greatest legends of modern action cinema that just feels right to us. When you head to the weapon shop in Dogtown, near the EBM Petrochem Stadium fast travel point, you’ll find a gun case reserved for the pencil-wielder himself, engraved with a simple, “For Mr. Wick.”

What’s even funnier, perhaps, is Silverhand’s reaction to spotting the gun case, staring at the case with a simple, “Oh, F*ck…” Though it’s unlikely the current-day world of John Wick could really tie canonically to the neon-lit streets of Night City, it’s nice to see the devs acknowledging Keanu Reeves’ two iconic roles.

8. Ghost in the Shell Gets a Small Shout Through Judy

Cyberpunk and Ghost in the Shell go hand in hand as the second-generation pioneers of the genre, coming right after the genre’s forefathers like Blade Runner and Akira. So, it’s nice to see the game pay its respects to the iconic franchise in a rather subtle way.

This one is right there in plain sight but difficult to make sense of – if you look closely at Judy Alvarez’s call icon, you’ll notice a little ghost popping out of a shell.

For our money, this small Easter egg adds a bit of extra context to Judy’s character and her overall philosophical outlook on life, making it all the more meaningful.

7. CJ Failed to “Follow the Damn Train” Even in Cyberpunk 2077

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has quite an indelible legacy in gaming, and Cyberpunk 2077 pays homage to all that it accomplished with the most appropriate of reference. Over by the Trailer Park fast travel point in Red Peaks, you’ll find two bodies and a crashed motorbike near a train tunnel.

Loot the Datashard, and you’ll uncover an archived conversation between “JC” and “Little Smoke,” a fun little twist on the memed-on “Follow the damn train, CJ!” line. It’s a delightful nod to the game, and it’s a funny little bit, too, seeing how “JC” still managed to fail his mission in 2077.

6. Half-Life 3 Got to See the Light of Day in Cyberpunk

Who would’ve thought we’d ever see the day when Half-Life 3 gets its release? Well, sort of. In Cyberpunk 2077, there’s a shard hidden in the Aldecaldos’ camp in the Badlands reviewing No Life 3, a playful jab at the endless and excruciating wait for the now-mythical game.

The game stars a silent protagonist named Baron Freimensch, wielding—you guessed it—a crowbar. It’s a perfect in-game joke that teases the gaming community’s longest-running meme while fitting snugly into Cyberpunk 2077’s lore. Hopefully, our own reality will soon be graced by the game’s presence – GabeN, please make it happen already.

5. You Can Meet Hideo Kojima Himself in Cyberpunk

During the Act 1 mission, “The Heist,” you can actually run into Hideo Kojima himself. Again, sort of—he appears as “Oshima,” casually sitting in the Konpeki Plaza hotel bar.

Now, you can chat with him briefly, but don’t expect any new missions. Kojima’s cameo feels like a nice little nod to one of the most legendary auteurs in gaming, and considering his contribution to the genre through Snatcher, we’d say the cameo fits right in.

4. There’s Even a Bridge Baby From Death Stranding Here

Speaking of Kojima, Cyberpunk 2077 also tips its hat to his latest and arguably most bizarre work of art, Death Stranding, with an eerie Easter egg. During the side quest “The Hunt,” you’ll stumble upon a BB capsule—yep, the same one carried by Sam Porter Bridges all across America.

It’s found in a creepy farm connected to the investigation, and while it’s not essential to the quest, it almost feels as though Death Stranding was once part of Cyberpunk’s past or perhaps a kind of alternate future.

Now, sure, Cyberpunk’s universe is a separate one with its own mythology, but it’s a nice bit of thought exercise to see how Death Stranding might fit in here, isn’t it?

3. We Teared up After Spotting Roy Batty in Cyberpunk

Roy Batty’s famous “Tears in the Rain” monologue from Blade Runner is a pivotal moment in sci-fi, and arguably the most important in the cyberpunk genre’s history, and CD Projekt honors it with perhaps the best kind of Easter egg.

On the rooftop of the Advocet Hotel in Vista Del Rey, you’ll find a near-naked man holding a black bird, looking eerily similar to the iconic Replicant, while rain pours all around him and Cyberpunk 2077’s more somber track plays in the background.

It’s a beautiful homage to the movie that heavily influenced the cyberpunk genre and perhaps a great reminder to players of how much Blade Runner shaped the aesthetics of Night City.

2. It Seems Indy Couldn’t Survive the Nuke in Cyberpunk 2077’s World

Cyberpunk 2077 even makes fun of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, specifically the infamous fridge scene – you know, the one in which Indy somehow survives a nuclear explosion by locking himself in a fridge?

If you venture out to the Badlands, near the Medeski Fuel Station, you’ll find a fridge containing a cowboy-hatted corpse. The Datashard on the body references the Mythbusters episode that debunked the survival myth. So yeah, remember, kids, don’t try to survive a nuke the way Indy did.

1. Even Mortal Kombat Exists in Cyberpunk’s Violent and Gory World

Mortal Kombat fans will get a kick out of this one. Before you play the “Queen of the Highway” quest with Panam, take a detour to the hill next to the Nomad camp’s burial site.

After helping Mitch honor Driss, you’ll get an action figure from him that you can place in V’s apartment. What’s the figure? It’s Scorpion from Mortal Kombat, wielding a Katana of all things.

Now, sure, we can argue all day long about why Mitch decided to give away Driss’ personal belongings to you so shortly after meeting the Aldecaldos for the first time, but hey, we get a cool action figure for our apartment, so we can let it slide for now.

That’s all the Easter eggs – to be honest, it’s incredible when you realize that these nine barely scratch the surface of all the hidden references scattered throughout Night City.

The sheer number of them reaffirms just how much care was put into Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt Red didn’t aim high with this game—they created a love letter to cyberpunk culture and pop culture at large.

These Easter eggs remind us that, beyond its sky-high ambitions, Cyberpunk 2077 was always a game filled with thoughtful details and tributes to the media that shaped the genre. But with that said, though, how many of these secrets did you manage to find on your own? Which ones took you by surprise? Let us know in the comments below!