Cyberpunk TCG raises more than $12 million – but the community remains skeptical

According to CD Projekt Red, the project marks the Cyberpunk brand’s first step into the world of physical trading card games. Players will be able to assemble their own Edgerunner crew from well-known characters from the franchise and compete against each other in Night City. The first edition is called Welcome to Night City and features characters from Cyberpunk 2077, including V, Johnny Silverhand and Judy Álvarez. A second set is planned to incorporate more content from the anime adaptation Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.

According to the official description, the card game is aimed not only at traditional TCG players, but also at collectors and fans of the Cyberpunk universe. CD Projekt Red particularly highlights the custom-made artwork, which is also intended to make the product appealing as a collector’s item. That may be part of the reason for its success so far: the project does not just appeal to tabletop players, but also to fans of the brand who want to collect high-quality physical products from Night City.

TCG community reacts with skepticism

On Reddit, however, the project has not been received entirely positively. In the thread about the game on the r/boardgames subreddit, reactions are predominantly skeptical. Much of the discussion centers on the high prices of some pledge tiers, the strong collector focus and doubts about the game’s long-term future. Several users also point to Android: Netrunner as an already established alternative in the cyberpunk space.

Despite its resounding crowdfunding success, die-hard TCG fans are still not fully convinced. All in all, the campaign highlights one thing above all: the Cyberpunk brand has enormous pull even beyond the video game sector. Whether the project will become a successful card game in the long run, however, remains to be seen. In the end, the key question will likely be whether it can keep not only collectors, but also tabletop players, engaged over time.