Cyberpunk Red, the bridge between the celebrated tabletop RPG and the hit Netflix anime Edgerunners, finally has a release date. First announced in 2022, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Mission Kit is coming in June of this year, sending players into the depths of a Night City altered in small but meaningful ways by Lucy, Rebecca, and the rest of the crew.
Developed by R. Talsorian Games in coordination with Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red, this bundle will give anime fans full and easy access to the tabletop world of Cyberpunk as first imagined by creator Mike Pondsmith. No prior knowledge of Cyberpunk Red is needed to get up and running quickly, but veteran players will enjoy a version of Night City that hews closer to the 2070 era of this futuristic, dystopian world.
Inside the box you’ll find a general lore and world-building primer so you can understand the difference between chooms and gonks, along with a rulebook that explores the details of rolling dice, dodging suits, installing cyberware, and everything in between. If you’re unfamiliar with the system, it uses a single 10-sided die that you roll during competitions before adding in relevant skills, attributes, equipment bonuses, and whatnot. That number is then compared to a difficulty value (DV) set by the DM to determine success or failure. There’s a lot more going on, but the core mechanic of the game is all about doing something risky and then rolling for success or complications.
The kit also includes a full mission titled The Jacket. A crew of player characters will spring into action directly after the anime as a new crew of Edgerunners, dealing with the aftermath. Players can create their own characters or take advantage of the seven pre-designed Edgerunners featuring new artwork by the anime’s director, Hiroyuki Imaishi. Everything else you might need—themed dice, figures, tokens, and maps—can also be found in the box.
As if that wasn’t enough, writer and producer Bartosz Sztybo contributed new backstories and biographies for David, Lucy, Rebecca, and all other crew members. Designers R. Talsorian Games included stat blocks for any tabletops who want to revisit the past or incorporate them into their own tabletop exploits. Obviously, quickhacking is a new skill for old Netrunners, but keep an eye out for more cross-pollination between the 2077 depicted in the latest video game and the anime series – the tabletop game designer really wants audiences to get a taste of this world’s dice-derived roots.
The Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Mission Kit will hit stores in mid- to late June, according to the publisher, though it warns that “unforeseen circumstances” will have to be accounted for. Physical boxes will be available from R. Talsorian Games’ website (and local hobby shops later), while digital versions can be purchased from DriveThruRPG. Virtual tabletop conversions for Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds should be available shortly after launch.