Want to Play 'Cyberpunk 2077' Early? Keanu Reeves' Johnny Silverhand Won't Let You

We're only a few days away from the launch of Cyberpunk 2077, but if you're trying to play the game early, you'll get a rude reminder of the release date from Keanu Reeves—well, from his in-game character, at least.

CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 is set to release on Thursday, December 10, but if you've already pre-loaded the game on GOG, you're in for a bit of a surprise.

According to a post on the Cyberpunk 2077 subreddit, Reeves' in-game character, Johnny Silverhand, will greet gamers who have pre-loaded Cyberpunk 2077 and try to play it with a short message. "Go back to sleep, Samurai. It's not December 10 yet," Silverhand says, against a backdrop of the outskirts of the game's futuristic world.

Cyberpunk 2077 fans can pre-order the game on just about every console ahead of its release, but it seems if you purchased the PC version on GOG, then you're already able to preload the game. Preloading games has become a regular feature in titles, especially big-budget ones. This process allows for players to download most, if not all, of the game's data onto a PC or console before its release, letting gamers jump right into the game itself when it's unlocked. That way, they don't have to wait to download the game on release day.

When Cyberpunk 2077 was delayed recently, for the third time, the studio explained that it was due to the time needed to get a Day 0 patch ready for launch. This patch will update Cyberpunk 2077 on launch day, to resolve any bugs or performance issues that the team has found.

And while Johnny Silverhand's note to gamers is fun, it should be noted that both he and Keanu Reeves do exist in Cyberpunk 2077.

One developer took to social media recently to confirm that Reeves does exist in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe, somewhere.

The hip-hop group Run the Jewels performs a song for the game, and one line references the actor: "Keanu Reeves/Cyber arm under my sleeve." In November, the CD Projekt Red developer referenced the line, writing, "The [Keanu Reeves] lyric is lore friendly. It's an in-universe cultural reference to [Reeves], a little known Collapse-era actor who bore an uncanny resemblance to Johnny Silverhand, and in the years following Johnny's disappearance, was frequently mistaken for [Johnny Silverhand]."

The "Collapse" era refers to a period of time in the '90s when western civilization began its decline, resulting in the fracturing of the United States.

Cyberpunk 2077 is set to release on Thursday, December 10, for PS4, Xbox One, PC and Google Stadia.

What do you think of this latest easter egg in Cyberpunk 2077? Are you excited to play this new game? Let us know in the comments section.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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