Showrunner, writer, and producer Bartosz Sztybor has shed light on the direction of Cyberpunk Edgerunners 2, explaining why its conclusion deviates significantly from the tragic tone of the first season.
While the initial season of the anime concluded with widespread death and a bittersweet fate for its sole survivor, mirroring the grim, noir-inspired universe of Cyberpunk, the second season offered a more optimistic outcome for its main characters. This shift has led to questions about the creative team's decision to move away from the established bleakness.
Sztybor suggested that the perceived 'bad endings' in the Cyberpunk universe, and by extension Edgerunners, might be a misunderstanding of the genre's core themes. "Cyberpunk originated from noir, and in noir, there is always a character versus the city," he stated. "The main point is that you’ll never win with the city or the system." He elaborated that even what might appear to be a tragic conclusion can be viewed as a happy ending if a character remains true to themselves or makes a meaningful sacrifice for a loved one. "I think, yes, it is a tragedy, but I think both noir and Cyberpunk are just trying to, I don't know, show us what real life is."
Cyberpunk Edgerunners 2 is available on Netflix. A review of the series noted that it "delivers the gory, action-packed goods, even if it doesn’t quite hit the highs of its predecessor," scoring it 9 out of 10.