Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 made its world premiere at Anime Expo 2026, giving thousands of fans their first look at Studio TRIGGER and CD Projekt RED’s highly anticipated return to Night City. Rather than continuing the story of David Martinez, the sequel takes a bold new direction with an entirely original cast, a fresh narrative, and a more grounded exploration of life in the dystopian metropolis.
The premiere episode was screened before approximately 6,000 attendees at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles ahead of the anime’s planned Netflix release this fall. Early impressions suggest the new series aims to expand the Cyberpunk universe while establishing its own identity instead of relying on nostalgia. The first-look review was published by Gizmodo, while production details were previously confirmed by CD Projekt RED and Studio TRIGGER.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 shifts its focus away from David Martinez
One of the biggest surprises from the premiere is how deliberately Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 separates itself from the original anime. Instead of revisiting the surviving characters from Season 1, the story introduces four completely new protagonists whose lives gradually intersect throughout Night City.
The central cast includes Weak Kingsley, a veteran edgerunner struggling with his past; D, a Snake Nation netrunner carrying emotional scars; Roman Carax, an aspiring filmmaker documenting the city’s harsh realities; and Talia Yang, a heavily augmented Corpo connected to the Maelstrom gang.
According to io9’s review, the episode quickly establishes each character’s personality without feeling overcrowded, allowing viewers to become invested in their individual stories before bringing them together.
Before the premiere, returning writer Bartosz Sztybor compared the tonal shift between the two seasons by saying the original series resembled a Michael Bay film, while the sequel takes inspiration from Martin Scorsese-style storytelling.
That comparison becomes evident in the opening episode. Rather than celebrating the pursuit of becoming a legendary mercenary, the new story explores sacrifice, identity, and what it means to remain human in a society transformed by cybernetic enhancements and corporate control.
Roman’s camcorder also becomes an important storytelling device, presenting much of Night City’s violence through the perspective of a documentary filmmaker. The approach gives the anime a more intimate feel despite its large-scale action sequences and brutal combat.
Studio TRIGGER delivers cinematic visuals
Studio TRIGGER’s distinctive animation style remains one of the sequel’s biggest strengths. The premiere combines stylized action with cinematic framing, grain-like visual textures, and references to classic crime films alongside 1990s anime influences.
Despite lasting just over 20 minutes, the episode balances character introductions, world-building, and explosive action without slowing its pace. Reviewers also noted that the violence is among the most graphic seen in the franchise, reinforcing Night City’s unforgiving nature.
The production team has also avoided treating the sequel as a direct continuation, instead presenting it as a standalone story set within the same universe. That creative decision allows new viewers to jump into the series while giving returning fans an entirely different perspective on the world introduced in the first Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.
With ten episodes planned for Season 2 and a Netflix premiere scheduled for Fall 2026, the Anime Expo debut suggests CD Projekt RED and Studio TRIGGER may once again have another standout anime set in Night City.
