If the first season of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners emotionally devastated you, its screenwriter for season 2 has a clear message: you haven’t seen anything yet. Bartosz Sztybor, who writes the scripts for the sequel, made it clear that the new season will delve deeper into tragedy, darkness, and violence. His advice was both direct and caring: have tissues ready.

In recent statements, Sztybor specified the direction of season 2. Fans who cried through the first season can expect a similarly or even more intense emotional response, as the story will explore more tragic, violent, and ruthless territory. There are no details on characters, plot, or release date yet; the message is about the tone and creative intent of the team, which is enough to understand what to expect.

The context matters. The first season of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, released in 2022, became a phenomenon few predicted: it transformed the universe of a video game with a troubled launch into one of the most impactful anime of the year, with a narrative that didn’t hesitate to destroy its characters. The fact that the team behind season 2 describes their work as even more relentless says a lot about their internal expectations.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is an original anime series produced by Studio Trigger and available on Netflix, based on the universe of CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077. The first season, which premiered in September 2022, follows David Martinez, a young man in Night City who, after losing his mother, decides to become an edgerunner—a mercenary working outside the law in a city that consumes its inhabitants. The series is known for its intense animation, soundtrack, and its willingness to make things difficult for its characters until the end. It gained massive popularity and revitalized interest in the game it originated from.

Do you think season 2 can surpass the emotional impact of the first, or does that kind of shock only work when you don’t know what’s coming?