The surprise first chapter of the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners manga MADNESS is available to read now – but there's a catch for English readers

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The prequel series will be published through Dark Horse

Promo art for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners MADNESS.
(Image credit: Kadokawa)

Surprise! CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is making an unexpected return with a brand new manga prequel to the hit anime. What's more, the first chapter is available to read right now – though not in English just yet.

"Don't get mad that we kept it a secret," said a post on the official Edgerunners Twitter account. "The first chapter of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners MADNESS official manga is now out in selected languages, with the full volume coming out in 2025!" The tweet also revealed that the series will focus on "Rebecca and Pilar, before they joined Maine's squad." 

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners MADNESS is written by the anime's original producer and CD Projekt Red comic book and animation narrative director Bartosz Sztybor, and illustrated by Asano. Sztybor also took to Twitter, posting "It REALLY is a day full of great news! I'm proud to announce that @edgerunners will have a prequel in manga format and I'm writing it! If you want to know a thing or two about Rebecca and Pilar before they joined Maine's crew, this manga is for you." He ended his jubilant post with, "It's a dream come true!!"

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Promo art for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners MADNESS.

(Image credit: Kadokawa)

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners MADNESS is published by Kadokawa on the Comic Alive+ platform in Japan and will be translated into seven other languages including Polish, Italian, Spanish, German, French, Traditional Chinese, and English, with Dark Horse releasing the latter version in print at an as-yet-unspecified date.

Kadokawa's official synopsis for the new series reads: "It's a must-see for the whole world. The prequel to Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is here. This original manga adaptation about siblings Pilar and Rebecca has begun...! This is the story of the siblings who have run across Night City to make a name for themselves as Edgerunners... The anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners has already captured the hearts of fans around the world, and the show is especially popular thanks to its extreme action and the cute, cool look of Rebecca and her friends."

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Will Salmon
Will Salmon
Streaming Editor

Will Salmon is the Streaming Editor for GamesRadar+. He has been writing about film, TV, comics, and music for more than 15 years, which is quite a long time if you stop and think about it. At Future he launched the scary movie magazine Horrorville, relaunched Comic Heroes, and has written for every issue of SFX magazine for well over a decade. His music writing has appeared in The Quietus, MOJO, Electronic Sound, Clash, and loads of other places too.