With its tragic story centered on Lucy and David, a compelling world, and Studio Trigger’s stunning direction and visuals, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners combined these elements to become one of the most iconic and successful game-based anime series to date.

Coinciding with Anime Expo in Los Angeles, held from July 2 to 5 (local time), the sequel, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, unveiled its first major trailer and character details. Furthermore, the first episode was screened exclusively at the expo.

The global community and social media were abuzz. Since its release on June 30, the teaser trailer has surpassed 5 million views on the official Cyberpunk 2077 YouTube channel and over 3 million combined on Netflix’s English and anime YouTube channels. Each subsequent social media post regarding the new updates garnered 5 to 6 million views, and the private screening of the first episode received rave reviews.

Why has the Edgerunners series resonated so deeply? Is it just the story, the direction, and the visuals? While those are certainly factors, I believe the core reason is how seamlessly the game IP was integrated into the medium of animation.

Edgerunners provided a clear answer to the question of how to effectively expand a game’s world into other media. The most effective way to translate an interactive medium like a game into a linear one, such as animation or film, is to preserve the world-building while crafting a narrative that best suits the new medium.

Gamers have already connected deeply with those stories and characters through the 'game' itself. Is there really a need to retell that same experience through the one-way medium of 'viewing'? Even if it were adapted well, could a video medium ever provide an experience that surpasses the one where you held the controller and ran through the game world yourself.

That is why I believe the most efficient and effective choice is to tell different stories while using the same world-building and setting. Instead of rehashing what was already experienced in the original work, it is better to present something entirely new—stories that could have clearly unfolded in another corner of that game world. In a way, it feels like creating a 'spin-off.'

Another crucial factor is collaborating with experts who understand the ecosystem and can best execute the content. To this end, CD Projekt Red (CDPR) partnered with Studio Trigger, a team whose creative style perfectly matched the atmosphere of the work.

Edgerunners executed this perfectly. While sharing the world and setting that form the roots of the game, it crafted new characters, narratives, and even visuals tailored specifically for the medium of animation.

As a result, Edgerunners succeeded in building its own fandom, independent of the game. While the original game has a massive following, the anime attracted fans who were drawn to the series on its own merits. The key point is not just to convert game fans into anime viewers, but to elevate the quality of the animation to the point where it creates and earns its own dedicated fanbase.

Indeed, the news of Edgerunners 2 has triggered an explosive reaction from both game and anime fans. The series has successfully built anticipation for a sequel independent of the game. Announcing the news at Anime Expo was likely part of a strategy to position Edgerunners not just as a game-based media project, but as a standalone anime franchise.

By successfully establishing the Cyberpunk 2077 IP in both gaming and animation, CDPR has naturally reaped the synergies of IP expansion. Game fans watch the anime in search of new stories, while anime fans become interested in the game. The increase in game sales following the release of the first season can be seen as a result of this same dynamic.

CDPR, in fact, appears to be fully leaning into this synergy. During a recent announcement that Cyberpunk 2077 had surpassed 40 million units sold, co-CEO Michał Nowakowski emphasized that "this achievement will serve as an excellent foundation for future projects within the Cyberpunk universe, including the animated series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, which is set to be unveiled this fall."

Opting for independent stories in each animated series also seems like a smart choice. Rather than continuing the narrative of the successful first season, this sequel features an entirely new story and cast of characters. As a result, viewers can fully enjoy the new series without needing to rewatch—or even have seen—the first one.

As new fans are drawn to each series and the game individually, they cross-pollinate between media, leading to a natural and continuous expansion of the IP. This is the ideal scenario that many game companies strive for.

Of course, all of this depends on Edgerunners 2 delivering storytelling and characters as compelling as its predecessor. After all, creating a successful sequel—whether for a game, film, drama, or animation—is a notoriously difficult task.