4 Years Later, The Second Season Of Netflix's 100% RT Fresh Sci-Fi Series Is Only 2 Week Away

Custom Image by Vanessa Piña Published Oct 10, 2026, 11:30 PM EDT Vanessa Piña has been writing as a journalist for over two years. As a senior writer, she focuses on timely coverage of the latest anime releases and popular comic franchises. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Netflix is ​​a powerhouse when it comes to sci-fi series. From adaptations of hit novels like 3 Body Problem to dystopian shows like Black Mirror that illustrate technology's dangers, the platform consistently delivers intriguing stories that let viewers immerse themselves in futuristic worlds. Fortunately, for those looking for their next watch, the best of 2026's sci-fi offerings is just around the corner, as one of Netflix's greatest cyberpunk series returns in a few days. Many major works in the cyberpunk genre drew inspiration from classic anime like Akira and Ghost in the Shell. However, few modern anime have reached the heights of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Based on the popular Cyberpunk 2077 video game franchise and premiering in 2022 as a collaboration between Studio Trigger and CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners marked a before and after in the genre. It received positive reviews from both critics and viewers, earning a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes and becoming Crunchyroll's Anime of the Year. As a prequel set in Cyberpunk 2077's Night City, where corruption and violence reign and cybernetic enhancements are the key to power in society, the anime follows David Martínez, who joins a group of mercenaries specializing in dangerous jobs after suffering a tragedy. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners proved that it's possible to create a complex and impactful story in just ten episodes, growing into a sci-fi masterpiece. Yet, although fans initially expected it to be a standalone project, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 is ​​scheduled to release during Fall 2026 and is already poised to rank among the best content on the platform. What Makes Cyberpunk: Edgerunners One of Netflix's Greatest Sci-fi Series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners offers far more than just the dangers of Night City. With a structure heavily influenced by the heist genre, the series' greatest appeal lies not only in its magnificent animation, which captures both the beauty of neon lights and the brutality of bloody massacres, but also in the evolution of the story. It all begins with David, a promising student trying to cope with discrimination and financial hardship while striving to live up to his mother's expectations. Night City · 2077 Edition Cyberpunk 2077:How Well Do You Know Night City? 💣StoryRelic 🤖CharactersLegends 🌇Night CityNeon ⚙TechChrome 👻Phantom LibertyDogtown JACK IN, CHOOM → 01 In Cyberpunk 2077, the player character V gets entangled with an experimental biochip that contains the digital consciousness of a legendary rockerboy-turned-terrorist. Who is this iconic character, played by Keanu Reeves? AMorgan Blackhand BAdam Smasher CJohnny Silverhand DAlt Cunningham ✓ Correct! Johnny Silverhand, portrayed by Keanu Reeves, is the legendary rockerboy whose digital engram is stored on the Relic biochip. His band Samurai rocked Night City, and his 2023 assault on Arasaka Tower made him a martyr — and a ghost in V’s head. ✗ Flatlined on that one, choom! The answer is Johnny Silverhand. Morgan Blackhand is a solo merc from the tabletop RPG, Adam Smasher is Arasaka’s cyborg enforcer, and Alt Cunningham is a legendary netrunner — and Johnny’s ex. Johnny is the rockerboy whose engram haunts V throughout the game. NEXT → 02 Night City is located in the Free State of Northern California, situated between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The city is divided into several distinct districts. Which district is the wealthy corporate center of Night City? AWatson BCity Center CPacifica DHeywood ✓ Correct! City Center is the gleaming corporate heart of Night City, home to the towering headquarters of megacorporations like Arasaka and Militech. It’s where the money flows, the corpo rats scheme, and the neon lights shine brightest over glass and chrome skyscrapers. ✗ Flatlined on that one, choom! The answer is City Center. Watson is V’s starting district — a former corporate hub now in decline. Pacifica is an abandoned resort district controlled by the Voodoo Boys. Heywood is a sprawling suburban district with gang influence. City Center is where the corps rule. NEXT → 03 Jackie Welles is V’s best friend and partner in crime at the start of Cyberpunk 2077. He dreams of making it big in Night City and becoming a legend. What tragic event happens to Jackie early in the main story? AHe betrays V BHe is arrested by NCPD CHe dies during the heist on Konpeki Plaza DHe leaves Night City ✓ Correct! Jackie Welles is fatally wounded during the botched heist at Konpeki Plaza. His death is one of the most emotional moments in the game and sets the entire main storyline in motion. As he always said — he wanted to go out as a Night City legend. ✗ Flatlined on that one, choom! The answer is that Jackie dies during the heist on Konpeki Plaza. Jackie is loyal to V until the very end — he never betrays anyone. He’s mortally wounded during the botched Arasaka heist, and his death is the catalyst for V’s journey with Johnny Silverhand. NEXT → 04 In the world of Cyberpunk 2077, people modify their bodies with cybernetic implants. What is the dangerous psychological condition called when someone installs too many cybernetic modifications? AChrome Disease BCyberpsychosis CNeural Decay DTech Rot ✓ Correct! Cyberpsychosis is a dissociative disorder caused by excessive cybernetic augmentation. Sufferers lose their sense of humanity and become violent, often going on deadly rampages. MaxTac, the NCPD’s elite unit, is specifically tasked with neutralizing cyberpsychos — a major side quest line in the game. ✗ Flatlined on that one, choom! The answer is Cyberpsychosis. It’s a core concept in the Cyberpunk universe — when someone gets too much chrome installed, they lose their grip on reality and humanity. The Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime explores this through the tragic story of David Martinez. NEXT → 05 The mega-corporation Arasaka plays a central role in Cyberpunk 2077’s story. The heist that kicks off the main plot takes place in a luxury Arasaka-owned hotel. What is the name of this hotel? AThe Afterlife BLizzie’s Bar CKonpeki Plaza DClouds ✓ Correct! Konpeki Plaza is an ultra-luxurious hotel owned by the Arasaka corporation. V and Jackie infiltrate it to steal the Relic biochip containing Johnny Silverhand’s engram. The heist goes catastrophically wrong, changing V’s life forever. ✗ Flatlined on that one, choom! The answer is Konpeki Plaza. The Afterlife is the legendary merc bar, Lizzie’s Bar is a Mox-controlled club and the Braindance headquarters, and Clouds is a “doll house” pleasure establishment in Westbrook. Konpeki Plaza is where the fateful heist takes place. NEXT → 06 Panam Palmer is a fan-favorite character and potential romance option in Cyberpunk 2077. She is a member of a nomad clan living in the Badlands outside Night City. What is the name of her clan? AThe Wraiths BThe Aldecaldos CThe Raffen Shiv DThe Bakkers ✓ Correct! The Aldecaldos are a proud nomad clan roaming the Badlands outside Night City. Panam Palmer is one of their most capable members, and through V’s friendship (or romance) with her, the Aldecaldos can play a pivotal role in one of the game’s possible endings. ✗ Flatlined on that one, choom! The answer is The Aldecaldos. The Wraiths are a hostile raider nomad gang in the Badlands, the Raffen Shiv are violent nomad outcasts who prey on travelers, and the Bakkers are another nomad clan from the Cyberpunk lore. The Aldecaldos are Panam’s family. NEXT → 07 The Phantom Liberty DLC expansion introduced a new district to Night City and a major new character played by Idris Elba. What is the name of this character? ASolomon Reed BKurt Hansen CAlex DMr. Hands ✓ Correct! Solomon Reed, portrayed by Idris Elba, is an FIA sleeper agent who plays a central role in the Phantom Liberty expansion. Set in the new Dogtown district, the DLC follows V and Reed as they navigate a web of espionage, betrayal, and political intrigue. ✗ Flatlined on that one, choom! The answer is Solomon Reed. Kurt Hansen is the warlord who controls Dogtown, Alex is an FIA contact who kicks off the DLC’s events, and Mr. Hands is a fixer operating in Pacifica. Solomon Reed, played by Idris Elba, is the expansion’s central character. NEXT → 08 The Afterlife is one of the most iconic locations in Cyberpunk 2077. It serves as a gathering place for Night City’s mercenaries and fixers. What type of establishment is The Afterlife? AA weapons shop BA nightclub CA bar named after dead legends DA corpo office ✓ Correct! The Afterlife is a legendary bar where Night City’s top mercenaries, fixers, and edgerunners gather. Its drinks are named after fallen legends — people who made their mark on the city. Run by Rogue Amendiares, it’s where the biggest gigs in Night City are brokered. ✗ Flatlined on that one, choom! The answer is a bar named after dead legends. The Afterlife is the most iconic merc bar in Night City, run by Rogue. Its cocktails are named after legendary edgerunners who died in spectacular fashion — and getting a drink named after you means you truly became a Night City legend. REVEAL MY SCORE → Scan Complete Your Night City Dossier / 8 Are you a legend of Night City — or just another gonk? ↻ JACK IN AGAIN David eventually loses hope for the future, and with nothing to live for and no one to trust, he decides to lead the life of an edgerunner. This dystopian world, which critiques economic classes and absolute corporate control, features a massive corporation that also pulls the strings of the criminal underworld. Viewers are drawn to relate to David right from the start, as well as to Lucy and the rest of the Edgerunners, who embrace a dangerous lifestyle involving dirty jobs, since surviving is the sole dogma of society. The true essence of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners lies in revealing just how unequal, unjust, and cruel Night City is. The series goes beyond mere action, featuring unpredictable twists and a well-crafted world that meticulously details the implications of robotic modifications, including the associated costs and the loss of humanity, as well as the various underworld jobs and the consequences of living by one's own rules. In doing so, it creates a melancholic atmosphere that resonates with the viewer and invites deep reflection. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 Has a Chance to Surpass the Original Anime With David and Lucy's story arc concluding in the first season, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 introduces a brand-new crew set against the same harsh backdrop of Night City. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 premieres on Netflix on October 20, 2026, with all 10 episodes released simultaneously. Promising to carry over much of the tragedy from the first season, this new chapter looks set to be even more hyper-violent and heart-wrenching. As shared by Animation Magazine, the writer and producer Bartosz Sztybor revealed the show is taking a Pulp Fiction approach, featuring multiple interconnected characters rather than following a single perspective, like the first season which mostly focused on David and Lucy. It will also remain a dark story, exploring the idea that even when you win, there's always a heavy price to pay. Furthermore, the season's overall scope highlights a facet of Night City that even the franchise's most die-hard fans couldn't have imagined. Following several stories, such as a legendary cyberpunk who has lost his Chrome and a character seeking revenge for their family, the season explores what it means to survive while grappling with the past. Whether stemming from lingering attachments to past glories and loves, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 shapes up to be a story that delves into the nature of regret. Since it's a standalone series, viewers can jump straight into Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2. However, the anime's first installment can be seen in a single day, so viewers can easily catch up before the new season premieres on Netflix.