It has officially been a year since one of the most notoriously expensive video games to produce hit shelves and disappointed fans with its broken functionality everywhere. I am talking, of course, about Cyberpunk 2077.
Cyberpunk takes place in Night City, a fictionalized cyber dystopia in the future of the United States, and was advertised with so much hype it was destined to fail when it came out.
But in one area it certainly did please fans.
That area?
Having sex with a Keanu Reeves avatar in-game. And you know who is absolutely thrilled about that?
Keanu Reeves.
keanu's reaction after he found out cyberpunk 2077 players are hacking the game to have sex with his character https://twitter.com/keanyssance/status/1469161202337333256\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/KaulHfZe29— \u2601\ufe0f (@\u2601\ufe0f) 1639111585
GOODBYE AKAJSOSHSG pic.twitter.com/6IH4PtaaLF— \u2601\ufe0f (@\u2601\ufe0f) 1639113436
Man he is pretty dopepic.twitter.com/nCTplNdAe8— Brandy Ellen Moore (@Brandy Ellen Moore) 1639112777
Memeifiedpic.twitter.com/2APGOwVjQl— Shawn Frey (@Shawn Frey) 1639144869
The modding of the game to switch Reeves' avatar with one of the in-game sex-workers became so widespread and popular it was forced to an end by developer CD Projekt due to legal concerns.
"When making fan content, creators have to make sure they've got permission from all the concerned parties (which might be people other than CD Projekt Red)" they said, in an explanation last January as to why they removed the mod.
"For the characters we've invented for the game, we broadly permit you to tweak the game at will and just have fun."
"When it comes to models of real people whom we've asked to participate in the game, we kindly ask you to refrain from using them in any situation that might be found offensive if you don't have their explicit permission."
i know wholesome keanu chungus funny ironic reddit meme but he is actually goat\u2019dhttps://twitter.com/keanyssance/status/1469166591082659843\u00a0\u2026— clay (@clay) 1639343667
ah yes, my fav man of few words. "its only nice when its nice". he's so cool, i love himhttps://twitter.com/keanyssance/status/1469166591082659843\u00a0\u2026— feliks dummy \u2297 (@feliks dummy \u2297) 1639218404
"Okay so thousands of people are trying to have sex with a video game model of you"\n"YESS >:D"https://twitter.com/keanyssance/status/1469166591082659843\u00a0\u2026— Lee (@Lee) 1639198143
This man is a GOAThttps://twitter.com/keanyssance/status/1469166591082659843\u00a0\u2026— mandude (@mandude) 1639197149
Though Reeves may not have direct influence over whether players can continue modding him into the game to have sex, he certainly made a compelling case for it.
“Think of how much money is in porn, right? So you could not even have to be there and people could have digital sex with your digital avatar."
“What’s it called right now, For Members Only? [OnlyFans]… You could do a whole thing. Oh my god, then you get the suit that’s probably made in Sweden or some German thing, then you’ve got the VR thing."
"Then they’ve got the data on you with your arousal metrics…”
The genuine enthusiasm is precioushttps://twitter.com/keanyssance/status/1469166591082659843\u00a0\u2026— Heathen Zombie (@Heathen Zombie) 1639191795
Me and the gang out here making hot, passionate, violent love to Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077 (with Keanu Reeve's permission)https://twitter.com/keanyssance/status/1469166591082659843\u00a0\u2026— Helena owo (@Helena owo) 1639184624
Keanu Reeves is happy that people are hacking the game to have sex with his character. And Carrie-Anne Moss sounds jelly.https://twitter.com/keanyssance/status/1469166591082659843\u00a0\u2026— Tribal Patriot Becca White\ud83c\udf84\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83e\udeb6\u264d\ufe0f\ud83d\udc8a\u271d\ufe0f\ud83c\udfac\ud83d\udc36\ud83c\udfb6\ud83c\udfae (@Tribal Patriot Becca White\ud83c\udf84\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83e\udeb6\u264d\ufe0f\ud83d\udc8a\u271d\ufe0f\ud83c\udfac\ud83d\udc36\ud83c\udfb6\ud83c\udfae) 1639180255
fellas we have consenthttps://twitter.com/keanyssance/status/1469166591082659843\u00a0\u2026— tara (@tara) 1639178007
Meanwhile, in the year that has passed, Cyberpunk 2077 has definitely fixed some of its broken functionality, but is under scrutiny for several social faux pas—including transphobia.
And if Reeves' version of a digital-avatar-sex industry does come about, it seems unlikely Cyberpunk 2077 will be its genesis.
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