Netflix’s Sci-Fi Action Series ‘Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ Saved the Dead Genre and Franchise

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Cyberpunk sci-fi occupies a strange position in film and television. While films like Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049, Ghost in the Shell, and Akira are considered sci-fi classics, and the first season of Netflix’s Altered Carbon was a visually stunning story, none of them were huge commercial successes upon release. Both Blade Runner films initially underperformed at the box office, Ghost in the Shell and Akira (despite being landmark anime) mainly appealed to existing anime fans, and Altered Carbon lost momentum after its first season. However, in 2022, a surprise sci-fi series emerged, potentially revitalizing the genre and a previously struggling franchise.

As a longtime fan of the genre, I can confidently say that Netflix’s Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is the best cyberpunk series I’ve ever seen. It’s set in the same dazzling, dangerous world as the Cyberpunk 2077 video game – Night City – and tells the story of David, a young man who gets caught up in a life of crime after getting a powerful cybernetic enhancement. He becomes an ‘edgerunner,’ essentially a mercenary, but these enhancements come with a serious risk: losing your mind. The show, thankfully only ten episodes long, really digs into David’s obsession and the danger it poses to everyone around him.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a captivating story brought to life with stunning animation and exciting action. Even if you’re new to the world of Cyberpunk 2077, you’ll quickly find yourself drawn into the gritty atmosphere of Night City. It might even inspire you to check out the video game!

‘Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ Saved an Entire Franchise

As we discussed earlier, the anime Edgerunners is connected to the Cyberpunk 2077 video game. That game, released in 2020 after a long and troubled development, launched with many bugs and lacked a lot of promised content. It was even unplayable for some players. This led to a strong negative reaction from gamers and towards the game’s developer, CD Projekt Red. It took several years of updates and fixes before Cyberpunk 2077 began to live up to the initial expectations set by its marketing.

Then came Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Created by Studio Trigger (Kill la Kill), the animated series brought a lot of new players back to the Cyberpunk video game, which had improved considerably since its initial release. The show was also critically acclaimed, achieving a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and a 95% audience score.

‘Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ Season 2 Is In Development… Kind Of

Originally, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was created as a standalone, ten-episode story with a definitive ending. While a second season continuing David’s story isn’t planned, CD Projekt Red has announced they will be building on the world of Edgerunners within the Cyberpunk 2077 video game. This means we can expect new stories and shows that capture the same feel as the first season, though specific details are still unknown and updates are likely a ways off.

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2026-04-10 19:17