How long is Cyberpunk 2077?

Features
By , published

How long Cyberpunk 2077 will take you, based on all our playtime so far.

Cyberpunk 2077 - Johnny Silverhand
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)

How long is Cyberpunk 2077? We've spent quite a bit of time with it ourselves now so we're ready to tell you what kind of hours you might be clocking on CD Projekt Red's newest open world RPG. We've now plowed through the story and many of the extra activities too. They do tend to add up, as you might expect, but just how much time will you really be spending in Night City? 

The main storyline hasn't turned out super lengthy on its own, but we'll tell you why you probably want to spare some time for the side quests and other activities instead of just chugging straight towards the ending. So, let's get cracking with this Cyberpunk 2077 length guide.

Cyberpunk 2077: Main quest length

The main story in Cyberpunk 2077 can be completed in around 15 or 20 hours if you really sprint ahead with tunnel vision for the central plot. That's relatively short, though CD Projekt Red has explained it was done on purpose.

Prior to launch, senior quest designer Patrick K. Mills said Cyberpunk 2077 will be shorter than The Witcher 3. "We do know the main story run in Cyberpunk 2077 is slightly shorter than The Witcher 3 because we got a lot of complaints about Witcher 3's main story just being too long," Mills said. Based on internal player statistics, Mills says a lot of players played tons of The Witcher 3, but "tremendous numbers of people" never made it to the end. He goes on to clarify that while the main story is shorter, there is still a lot to do outside the main quest. 

Cyberpunk 2077 length: Average play time

There is indeed plenty to do outside of Cyberpunk 2077's main quest and, based on our time playing through to the game's ending we do recommend that you stop and smell the cyber roses. James spent about 50 hours to complete Cyberpunk 2077 during his Cyberpunk 2077 review, which he spent exploring some of the side characters' stories and digging into Johnny Silverhand's history.

You'll likely want to do the same, he says. "I know there are at least three endings (I chose mine after 10 minutes of staring at the screen, frozen), and that there are definitely more depending on who you befriend and/or romance," James explains. "These aren't poorly compressed slideshow epilogues either, but hour-long endeavors, the kind of resplendent, explosive, dramatic stuff most big studios struggle to make one of. "

Playing through to the end of each side character's story isn't required, but can make a big difference in which of those endings you'll wind up at. If you're invested in Cyberpunk's work and story, you can probably expect to put 40 or 50 hours in to roll the credits.

Cyberpunk 2077 length: Completionist

If you're hellbent on seeing every corner of Night City, you could potentially double your time spent with Cyberpunk 2077. Based on our playtime with the game, we anticipate that completionists could spend around 70 or 80 hours checking off all the extras on the list.

What will you be doing with all that time? As with an average playthrough, you'll probably be completing all the stories related to Cyberpunk 2077's side characters. You'll also be scooping up smaller sidequests and embarking on the infiltration missions doled out by local fixers where you break into warehouses and other locations to complete a goal. You might also be hunting down collectible tarot cards or other optional activities.  

You probably won't play Cyberpunk 2077 the way a QA tester does—although if you've come across some of the bugs at launch that we have perhaps you feel like one—but we can get another completion time datapoint from someone who does.

QA lead Łukasz Babiel tweeted a few weeks before launch that his playthrough had clocked in at 175 hours, and still going. He clarified that this is on Cyberpunk's hardest difficulty as a slow, meticulous stealth-based character. And yeah, he's probably taking his sweet, sweet time looking for bugs, too.  

You most likely won't be playing Cyberpunk 2077 for 175 hours, at least not in a single playthrough, but apparently it is possible.

James Davenport
James Davenport

James is stuck in an endless loop, playing the Dark Souls games on repeat until Elden Ring and Silksong set him free. He's a truffle pig for indie horror and weird FPS games too, seeking out games that actively hurt to play. Otherwise he's wandering Austin, identifying mushrooms and doodling grackles.