The second season of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is about to arrive on Netflix, and it does so with a detail that has caught the attention of video game fans: Studio Trigger did not just draw general inspiration from Night City; they used a digital tool to traverse the city street by street before animating each scene.
The premiere is set for October 20, so interest in how this new installment was visually constructed has grown in recent days. The key lies in the work of the series director, Kai Ikarashi, who personally explored the world of Cyberpunk 2077 using a virtual camera to scout specific settings that were later translated into the language of anime.
Scouting locations within the video game itself
The showrunner and creator of the series, Bartosz Sztybor, has explained that working with Studio Trigger has an unusual advantage: a large part of the team knows Night City even better than he does. In his own words, the animators have mastered the geography of the game to such an extent that he no longer needs to specify in the script where each scene takes place.
Sztybor compared Ikarashi's process to the behavior of Roman, one of the new characters this season who is specifically associated with a camera. The director moved through Night City within the game itself, analyzing which streets, buildings, or corners could best fit each moment of the story, rather than resorting to generic settings vaguely inspired by the cyberpunk aesthetic.
This method turns Cyberpunk 2077 into something akin to a real-life filming location, but digital. Before the animation team reconstructs any space, Ikarashi has already studied specific options within the game, taking advantage of the enormous amount of detail hidden in the city designed by CD Projekt Red.
The fidelity that defined the first season
This approach does not start from scratch. The first season of Edgerunners already included recognizable places for those who had played the title, such as the Afterlife, Tom's Diner, or the Megabuilding H4, naturally integrated into the story of David Martinez and Lucy without becoming mere visual nods.
That strategy allowed the series to work on two different levels. Those who knew the video game could identify specific areas of the city, while other viewers perceived those same settings as part of a coherent and hostile metropolis, without needing to recognize any references.
Beyond iconic locations
According to what the team has shared, the second season aims to go beyond the most famous points on the map. The idea is for viewers to be able to recognize less obvious streets and establishments, expanding the recognition game for those who have spent hours traversing Night City with the character V.
This fidelity is not just a fan service strategy. Maintaining consistency with the architecture, neighborhoods, and urban layout of the video game reinforces the feeling that the anime truly takes place within the same universe, with its own slopes, highways, and degraded zones.
A working method similar to location scouting for a real shoot
The process described is reminiscent of a director's typical work before filming a movie: walking through physical spaces, studying framing, and deciding how to move within them. The difference is that Kai Ikarashi was able to do all of this without leaving Cyberpunk 2077.
This type of collaboration shows how much the relationship between video games and animation has evolved. Studio Trigger did not work solely from screenshots or conceptual material provided by CD Projekt Red, but was able to directly explore the digital world to decide which elements to translate to the animated version.
New characters, the same city
The second season will not continue David Martinez's story. Instead, it will introduce a new group of characters led by Weak Kingsley, Roman, Talia, and D, while Night City remains the element that connects both stories.
Changing protagonists allows for showing other neighborhoods and other layers of the city without repeating the experience of the first installment. If Trigger takes advantage of this freedom to explore lesser-known locations in the game, the new season could expand the viewers' perception of Night City without needing to modify the original map.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 will arrive on Netflix on October 20, and the level of detail put into the setting promises to become one of the most discussed points among video game fans.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 premiere?
The second season premieres on Netflix on October 20.
Who is directing the second season of the series?
The director is Kai Ikarashi, who used a virtual camera within Cyberpunk 2077 to scout real settings from the video game.
Does the second season continue David Martinez’s story?
No. The new season presents an independent story starring a new group of characters: Weak Kingsley, Roman, Talia, and D.
Which animation studio produces Cyberpunk: Edgerunners?
The series is produced by Studio Trigger, which was also responsible for the first season.
Which locations from the video game appeared in the first season?
Among others, the Afterlife, Tom's Diner, and the Megabuilding H4 appeared, integrated directly into the plot.
Why is fidelity to the video game’s locations relevant?
Because it reinforces the coherence between the anime and Cyberpunk 2077, allowing players to recognize specific streets and spaces within the new story.
