There are lots of people waiting to play CD Projekt Red's new open-world RPG Cyberpunk 2077, but earlier this month it was delayed until November because the studio is hoping to polish the game. One of the reasons for the public's excitement is CD Projekt Red's track record with titles like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and it seems the futuristic world will pack in quite a few references to that series for fans to pick out as they play.
A specific reference to the silver sword Aerondight, which Geralt of Rivia receives from the Lady of the Lake in The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine expansion, was shown off in the trailer released during Cyberpunk 2077's Night City Wire livestream event. However, not through a player wielding the blade. Rather, the Easter egg appears via a magazine advertisement for the Aerondight as its, "Car of the Month."
The reference was picked up by a Reddit user named flarews, who uploaded it to the r/cyberpunkgame Subreddit with a follow-up meme featuring the Lady of the Lake handing Geralt a set of car keys rather than the original sword. There are other Easter eggs referencing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt hidden in the preview as well, as a retro gaming magazine highlights Ciri from The Witcher universe.
It's hard to believe these will be the only references hidden in Cyberpunk 2077's open world, unless CD Projekt Red is looking to get them out of the way now so the upcoming title can stand out on its own. There already appear to be huge plans to create a universe around this world, an adaptation of a tabletop game, as CD Projekt Red has announced an anime and a comic book series based on the property.
As far as the game itself goes, players will have the opportunity to get immersed in Cyberpunk's universe come November and later on for next-generation consoles. It has been confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077 will offer free upgrades to PS5 and Xbox Series X once those consoles are available.
It's currently unclear whether the Aerondight car referencing The Witcher will be drivable. However, it would certainly seem like a missed opportunity for CD Projekt Red to not make the legendary sword a usable vehicle to match that acclaim in Cyberpunk 2077, so fans will have to wait and see when the game releases.
Cyberpunk 2077 releases November 19 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with PS5, Stadia and Xbox Series X versions also in development.