R Talsorian Games recently announced a new Cyberpunk RED expansion: Cyberpunk Edgerunners Mission Kit. This boxed set is the first official tabletop RPG expansion putting players into the world of the Cyberpunk 2077 video game as well as the popular anime on Netflix. The Cyberpunk Edgerunners Mission Kit is described as including “essential rules as well as lore about the Dark Future, Night City, the Edgerunners team, and more!” With this project, fans will be able to game the streets of Night City in 2077 with a GM and dice just as Mike Pondsmith intended when he developed the original RPG.
The Cyberpunk RPG, in each of its editions, is the quintessential game set in a dystopian future of “lowlife and high tech,” as William Gibson described the genre. While Cyberpunk 2020 is still a gaming staple that supported great sessions for decades, the latest edition, Cyberpunk RED, is only two years old (November 14, 2020), yet an Adamantine Best Seller at DriveThruRPG. Bringing together creator Mike Pondsmith and the hype around the initial release of the Cyberpunk 2077 video game, RED takes place in 2045 and offers the cleanest, best realized version of the Cyberpunk ruleset. Well-considered, beautifully laid out, and written to be both old school and new player friendly, RED is a great addition to tabletop.
The newest edition of the game dropped at the same time as the video game. Even with the software glitches, fans want to play in 2077, especially after the release of Edgerunners, a series with a 100% Tomatometer and 96% audience score at Rotten Tomatoes. The hype is real and even inspired Bell of Lost Souls to publish an article bringing Edgerunners to 5e, which resulted in controversy even as it demonstrates the gaming public’s desire to see Edgerunners available for tabletop. The Cyberpunk Edgerunners Mission Kit is the response to that demand offering your gaming table the world and opportunity to roll alongside edgerunners like David Martinez, Lucy, Rebecca, and Maine. R Talsorian’s announcement about their new boxed set opens the door to convert fans from the video game to tabletop.
I asked J. Gray, Cyberpunk RED Project Lead, if the Edgerunners Mission Kit would be a product like the Cyberpunk RED Jumpstart Kit, a standalone boxed set that introduces the world and gaming system. J. Gray explained it will be a standalone box set. "We know 2077 and Edgerunners have both brought new fans to the Dark Future and we want there to be a recognizable, easy way to transition into the tabletop RPG and maybe even TTRPGs in general."
Polygon stated that there’s a "2077-themed sourcebook" in the pipeline. When I asked if the tabletop RPG version of Cyberpunk 2077 would backwards compatible with Cyberpunk RED or be a new edition, J said that the current plan for the Mission Kit is a sourcebook, not a complete game, so it will be played using Cyberpunk RED. I wanted to know more, but its early days on the project and J was limited on what he could share. “We'll have more information on what will be inside the Cyberpunk Edgerunners Mission Kit in the future. No spoilers yet.”
While details are limited beyond what the press release and J. Gray shared, we can look at a past release and make some educated guesses about what the Mission Kit will offer. Based on the Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit, RED’s current introductory boxed set, we might be able to glean some elements of the content. The Jumpstart Kit is a boxed set with an MSRP of $29.99 for the physical edition or $10 for the PDF version. For that price, you’ll get a softcover Rule Book (44 pages plus the cover), a World Book (52 pages plus the cover), an “Ez Reference” sheet that summarizes rules akin to a four-page GM screen, a set of dice (2d10 and 4d6), two double-sided fold out battle maps, six pre-gen character sheets, a sheet of cardboard standees and plastic stands. The boxed set has everything you need from rules to a setting book to dice and characters for you and your players to get into the Dark Future and explore Cyberpunk RED. While past performance is not a guarantee of future success, I believe it’s safe to bet that R Talsorian will offer a boxed set with a lot of bang for the buck with their upcoming Mission Kit.
The Cyberpunk 2077 video game continues to evolve the world that Mike Pondsmith introduced in 1988. The Cyberpunk Edgerunners Mission Kit and eventual Cyberpunk 2077 sourcebook mean a new day is coming for tabletop roleplayers in Night City. Add to that CD PROJEKT RED’s announcement about the Cyberpunk 2077 video game sequel, and this new boxed set and book are well-placed to widen the Cyberpunk RED fanbase. Cyberpunk 2077 is coming in the form of a starter boxed set and sourcebook, two items that are my top most wanted RPG products for 2023.
If you’re interested in trying out Cyberpunk RED, check out the free Cyberpunk RED Easy Mode which has enough rules, history, pre-gens, and an adventure to get you into 2045. To keep up with the Cyberpunk Edgerunners Mission Kit, you can follow R Talsorian Games on Twitter (@RTalsorianGames) and Instagram (@officialrtalsoriangames).
Egg Embry participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, Noble Knight Games’ Affiliate Program, and is an Amazon Associate. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG, Noble Knight Games, and Amazon.
The Cyberpunk RPG, in each of its editions, is the quintessential game set in a dystopian future of “lowlife and high tech,” as William Gibson described the genre. While Cyberpunk 2020 is still a gaming staple that supported great sessions for decades, the latest edition, Cyberpunk RED, is only two years old (November 14, 2020), yet an Adamantine Best Seller at DriveThruRPG. Bringing together creator Mike Pondsmith and the hype around the initial release of the Cyberpunk 2077 video game, RED takes place in 2045 and offers the cleanest, best realized version of the Cyberpunk ruleset. Well-considered, beautifully laid out, and written to be both old school and new player friendly, RED is a great addition to tabletop.
The newest edition of the game dropped at the same time as the video game. Even with the software glitches, fans want to play in 2077, especially after the release of Edgerunners, a series with a 100% Tomatometer and 96% audience score at Rotten Tomatoes. The hype is real and even inspired Bell of Lost Souls to publish an article bringing Edgerunners to 5e, which resulted in controversy even as it demonstrates the gaming public’s desire to see Edgerunners available for tabletop. The Cyberpunk Edgerunners Mission Kit is the response to that demand offering your gaming table the world and opportunity to roll alongside edgerunners like David Martinez, Lucy, Rebecca, and Maine. R Talsorian’s announcement about their new boxed set opens the door to convert fans from the video game to tabletop.
I asked J. Gray, Cyberpunk RED Project Lead, if the Edgerunners Mission Kit would be a product like the Cyberpunk RED Jumpstart Kit, a standalone boxed set that introduces the world and gaming system. J. Gray explained it will be a standalone box set. "We know 2077 and Edgerunners have both brought new fans to the Dark Future and we want there to be a recognizable, easy way to transition into the tabletop RPG and maybe even TTRPGs in general."
Polygon stated that there’s a "2077-themed sourcebook" in the pipeline. When I asked if the tabletop RPG version of Cyberpunk 2077 would backwards compatible with Cyberpunk RED or be a new edition, J said that the current plan for the Mission Kit is a sourcebook, not a complete game, so it will be played using Cyberpunk RED. I wanted to know more, but its early days on the project and J was limited on what he could share. “We'll have more information on what will be inside the Cyberpunk Edgerunners Mission Kit in the future. No spoilers yet.”
While details are limited beyond what the press release and J. Gray shared, we can look at a past release and make some educated guesses about what the Mission Kit will offer. Based on the Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit, RED’s current introductory boxed set, we might be able to glean some elements of the content. The Jumpstart Kit is a boxed set with an MSRP of $29.99 for the physical edition or $10 for the PDF version. For that price, you’ll get a softcover Rule Book (44 pages plus the cover), a World Book (52 pages plus the cover), an “Ez Reference” sheet that summarizes rules akin to a four-page GM screen, a set of dice (2d10 and 4d6), two double-sided fold out battle maps, six pre-gen character sheets, a sheet of cardboard standees and plastic stands. The boxed set has everything you need from rules to a setting book to dice and characters for you and your players to get into the Dark Future and explore Cyberpunk RED. While past performance is not a guarantee of future success, I believe it’s safe to bet that R Talsorian will offer a boxed set with a lot of bang for the buck with their upcoming Mission Kit.
The Cyberpunk 2077 video game continues to evolve the world that Mike Pondsmith introduced in 1988. The Cyberpunk Edgerunners Mission Kit and eventual Cyberpunk 2077 sourcebook mean a new day is coming for tabletop roleplayers in Night City. Add to that CD PROJEKT RED’s announcement about the Cyberpunk 2077 video game sequel, and this new boxed set and book are well-placed to widen the Cyberpunk RED fanbase. Cyberpunk 2077 is coming in the form of a starter boxed set and sourcebook, two items that are my top most wanted RPG products for 2023.
If you’re interested in trying out Cyberpunk RED, check out the free Cyberpunk RED Easy Mode which has enough rules, history, pre-gens, and an adventure to get you into 2045. To keep up with the Cyberpunk Edgerunners Mission Kit, you can follow R Talsorian Games on Twitter (@RTalsorianGames) and Instagram (@officialrtalsoriangames).
Egg Embry participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, Noble Knight Games’ Affiliate Program, and is an Amazon Associate. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG, Noble Knight Games, and Amazon.
