I’ve been thinking about this theory for a while, and I think it’s time to share it.
Throughout the Cyberpunk 2077 main story, we never see V suffer any real symptoms of cyberpsychosis. No hallucinations, no uncontrollable outbursts, no erratic behavior. V is composed, focused, and fully operational—despite the ridiculous amount of chrome they can install.
But what if cyberpsychosis isn’t written into the narrative… but into the gameplay?
Think about it.
When a player starts out, they’re usually cautious. They complete story missions, do a few gigs, maybe even try to avoid unnecessary violence.
But as the game progresses, things shift. The player kills more, gets more chrome, and begins to depersonalize. Enemies become XP, civilians become collateral, and violence becomes routine—sometimes even recreational.
I’ve lived it myself. In my first playthroughs, I was careful. But now, I can’t even start a new game without immediately craving implants. I need chrome to feel something. I’ve killed over 12,000 people in one save file—and the worst part? I didn’t feel a thing.
So… what if V doesn’t show signs of psychosis because you, the player, are the one experiencing it?
We become desensitized, addicted to violence and upgrades, obsessed with optimization over morality. We start behaving like the very cyberpsychos MaxTac is hunting.
The real question is:
When was the last time you stopped to ask: "Was that fight necessary?"
What do you think? Has anyone else felt this during their time in Night City?
(random photo of my V, I'm a gonk)
23 Comments
https://preview.redd.it/45gtqe6xrraf1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4f54afb71fb4f3dc734c25bbd4f523d527979d09
its just too fun making a group of gonks commit collective suicide
Thought this was Rhea Ripley for a second then 😅
ur V is beautiful
https://preview.redd.it/04mchvfmvraf1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc0c04a95fcff70f60cb893940c82f8b4ff22bdf
I had this same experience. I think you nailed it.
Well I based my V off cyberpsycho James Norris, so I guess this adds up
Mike Pondsmith said as much: Johnny being in V’s head acted as a buffer for any psychological damage that might have occurred by the events of the game. V could basically chip as much as humanly possible and there wouldnt be any risk of losing humanity since Johnny had a great deal of psychosis to begin with.
Once the engram starts taking root and overwriting V’s personality, then whatever fucked up neurological issues Johnny had, V begins to exhibit.
Why do I see Noel Fielding?
what if the cyberpsychosis was the friends we made in the way
It’s been stated multiple times that Johnny himself had a form of Cyberpsychosis. It would be natural to assume V is infected with it as well.
I just can’t help it when I see a group of helpless scavs
No, because no one in the game is a real person…
Well… I am the decision-making part of my V’s brain. It also isnt my fault what happenes when ponpon shit comes on
Cool theory, but V can’t have cyberpsychosis because of the relic in his head. That relic gives him the ability to wear so many cyberware.
Yeah I thought that was the intention. The disconnect between the player and what used to be their reality *is* cyberpsychosis. By the end of the game, you’re so powerful that enemies aren’t even a danger and you can get away with anything, you *know* you are powerful enough for it. When I realized it was so cool.
Honestly this is going to sound kind of stupid but I’ve been trying to copy the best solo in the world Morgan blackhand. He doesn’t kill people he’d rather watch them suffer getting caught. So as of lately I’ve been trying not to kill people just incapacitate them.
Shit maybe you’re right. I even got mods just so i can have extra cyberware.
Looks like Rhea Ripley from WWE
looks a lot like Dakota Johnson
I’m at the tail end of my first playthrough. I’ve gone from, if I get hit by a car I worry about a health drop and I just move on, and avoiding unnecessary fights even with gangs and acting good to the police.
Now? God forbid some random gonk cuss at me on the street or a car hit me, despite the fact it doesn’t phase me anymore with my max body+2nd heart+biomon+blood pump setup. But if a civilian even looks at me the wrong way, I’ve got maxtac on my ass within 5 minutes.
Hm, definitely an interesting theory, but one that’s only upheld by those that align with it. Personally, that hasn’t been my experience. I’ll take hits just to make sure I have a clean shot instead of risking civilians, if NCPD shows up I immediately disengage until they leave, I’ll break stealth to take out gangs before they kill civilians, I didn’t go through the experience of depersonalize. The most I sway towards “unnecessary violence” is being on sight on site with most gangs, but even that’s based off the lore reasons of knowing what they do – to the point that I don’t actually fight with gangs until I come across a reason to in that playthrough. On my last character, I was well more than halfway through before I got a reason for the tyger claws, a small note about human trafficking, but had largely left them alone outside of missions before that.
If optimization can be found without sacrificing your (character’s) morality, if desensitization is avoided, if fights are never waged against the innocent, then am I simply more resistant to cyberpsychosis?
sounds like a whole lotta yap to me and not enough eddies being made, go kill some people and come back n see how you feel. you’re not gonna turn into maine dw gang