Cyberpunk 2077 ESRB rating summary details the explicit content you'll encounter in Night City

(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)

The official ESRB rating board summary for Cyberpunk 2077 has been released and gives a detailed rundown of the many features included in the game… and as you might already expect, it's certainly something.

The summary begins with a breakdown of the role of the player, with a description of the game overall: "This is a first-person RPG/shooter in which players assume the role of a mercenary named V trying to make their way through the open-world of Night City. Players can explore futuristic locations, interact with citizens, perform missions, and engage in combat to complete various objectives within a storyline." 

The summary then goes on to list the various weapons players can use, including handguns, machine guns, rifles, melee weapons (such as wrist-mounted blades and enhanced limbs), and explosives during "frenetic firefights with humans and cybernetically enhanced enemies." 

Details are also listed regarding the violent aspects of the gameplay, such as dismemberment, cries of pain, and blood-splatter effects. But it doesn't just stop there. It gets a whole lot more graphic - be warned, this isn't for the faint of heart.

"Some locations depict mutilated corpses with open chest cavities and/or exposed organs/entrails." The rather gruesome imagery is followed by a description of a quest, in which "players assist a character by hammering nails through his hands and feet; screaming sounds and blood effects accompany the scene." 

Outside of the violence and gore, the summary also breaks down the nature of the nudity and sexual content featured. ESRB details the way in which players will be able to customize their character's genitals and be given the option during certain encounter events to engage in sexual activities with "main characters or prostitutes." In what is described as "brief sex scenes" from a first-person perspective, players can expect to see partial nudity and suggestive movements. It also mentions strong language, frequent references to fictional drugs, and that players can drink alcoholic beverages "repeatedly until the screen distorts." 

If you didn't know already, the ESRB rating board provides information about the content included in games or apps to help parents and consumers make informed decisions about whether or not it's for them. You can see the summary in full right here

News that CD Projekt Red's upcoming RPG set in futuristic Night City had gone out to rating agencies worldwide came to light back in March of this year. The content detailed in the official summary may come as no surprise to many, especially given that the recent rating leak pointed out some of the explicit content included in Cyberpunk 2077.

After the recent rating leak surfaced, lead quest designer Pawel Sasko responded by saying, "You surprised? We don't f**k around."

In other Cyberpunk 2077 news, CD Projekt has announced a Night City Wire will be taking place in June. Don't forget to check out our roundup of the cheapest Cyberpunk 2077 pre-order prices.

Heather Wald
Senior staff writer

I started out writing for the games section of a student-run website as an undergrad, and continued to write about games in my free time during retail and temp jobs for a number of years. Eventually, I earned an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University, and soon after got my first official role in the industry as a content editor for Stuff magazine. After writing about all things tech and games-related, I then did a brief stint as a freelancer before I landed my role as a staff writer here at GamesRadar+. Now I get to write features, previews, and reviews, and when I'm not doing that, you can usually find me lost in any one of the Dragon Age or Mass Effect games, tucking into another delightful indie, or drinking far too much tea for my own good.