Cyberpunk 2077 was a disaster. There is no other way to put it, honestly. Back in December 2020, the game was so broken on consoles that Sony literally pulled it from the PlayStation Store. People were demanding refunds by the millions. It felt like CD Projekt Red, the golden child of the industry after The Witcher 3, had set their entire reputation on fire.
But then something weird happened.
Fast forward a few years, and the conversation shifted entirely. If you look at the awards won by cyberpunk 2077 today, you aren't looking at a list of "participation trophies" or "most disappointing launch" snark. You are looking at one of the most aggressive, expensive, and successful comeback arcs in the history of software development. It wasn't just one lucky patch that did it. It was years of grinding, a massive anime tie-in, and a total mechanical overhaul that finally made the game match the marketing hype.
Night City finally became the place we were promised.
The early accolades versus the dark times
It is easy to forget that before the game even came out, it was drowning in "Most Anticipated" trophies. At gamescom 2020, it cleaned up. It won Best Sony PlayStation Game, Best PC Game, and Best RPG. People were sold on the dream of Keanu Reeves and a living, breathing metropolis.
Then reality hit.
The launch was so messy that for about two years, the awards dried up. Critics weren't talking about the branching narrative or the verticality of Watson anymore; they were talking about T-posing NPCs and cars flying into the stratosphere for no reason. During that 2021-2022 period, the trophy cabinet stayed pretty dusty. Most people thought the game was a "once-played, forever-uninstalled" kind of deal.
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The turning point? Honestly, it was a cartoon. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners on Netflix did more for the game's reputation than any press release ever could. When the game won Labor of Love at the 2022 Steam Awards, it was the first real sign that the community was starting to forgive the developers. That award is voted on by players, not critics. It meant that the "Mostly Negative" reviews were finally being buried by people who actually enjoyed the 1.6 "Edgerunners" update.
That massive Phantom Liberty sweep
If you want to see the real meat of the awards won by cyberpunk 2077, you have to look at 2023 and 2024. This is when the Phantom Liberty expansion and the 2.0 update dropped. It changed everything.
At The Game Awards 2023, Cyberpunk 2077 won Best Ongoing Game.
Think about that for a second.
It beat out Genshin Impact, Fortnite, and Final Fantasy XIV. A single-player RPG that launched as a technical failure won an award usually reserved for massive multiplayer live-service giants. That same night, it was nominated for Best Community Support. It was a formal acknowledgment from the industry that CD Projekt Red hadn't just "fixed" the game—they had transformed it into a masterpiece.
Idris Elba’s performance as Solomon Reed also started picking up steam. While Keanu got the initial headlines, Elba’s nuanced, weary portrayal of a government sleeper agent brought a level of prestige to the expansion that felt more like a high-end spy thriller than a neon-soaked looter shooter.
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Key wins that actually mattered:
- The Game Awards (2023): Best Ongoing Game.
- Steam Awards (2022): Labor of Love.
- BAFTA Games Awards: Multiple nominations for Evolving Game and Technical Achievement.
- Golden Joystick Awards (2023): Best Game Expansion (Phantom Liberty) and Best Trailer.
Why the "Labor of Love" win was controversial
Not everyone was happy about the awards. You’ll still find threads on Reddit or ResetEra where people argue that we shouldn't reward companies for "fixing" a product that should have worked on Day 1. It’s a valid point. Some critics felt that giving Cyberpunk 2077 the Steam Labor of Love award was a slap in the face to indie devs who release polished games without a $100 million marketing budget.
But the counter-argument is that most studios would have just cut their losses.
Look at Anthem. Look at Mass Effect: Andromeda. When those games stumbled, the publishers eventually pulled the plug. CD Projekt Red did the opposite. They spent tens of millions of dollars on the 2.0 update, which fundamentally changed how police worked, how cyberware functioned, and how you built your character. They didn't charge a cent for those core gameplay changes. That is why the awards started rolling in. It wasn't just about the fix; it was about the commitment to the vision.
Technical achievement in a post-launch world
By the time 2024 rolled around, the conversation moved toward technology. If you have a high-end PC, Cyberpunk 2077 is basically the "Crysis" of this decade. It’s the benchmark.
The game won various technical awards for its implementation of Path Tracing and DLSS 3.5. Digital Foundry, the gold standard for tech analysis, repeatedly cited it as the most impressive visual feat in gaming. It’s rare for a game to win "Best Graphics" type awards three or four years after its initial release, but because the engine evolved so much, it stayed at the top of the heap.
The audio design also deserves a shoutout. The game won several "Best Audio" and "Best Soundtrack" nods across various regional awards and smaller ceremonies like the NAVGTR Awards. The way the music transitions from low-fi ambient tracks to high-octane industrial combat music is still peerless.
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Narrative depth and the BAFTA nods
The British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) are notoriously picky. They don't care about hype; they care about craft. Cyberpunk 2077's nominations there for Evolving Game and Narrative speak to the writing quality that was always buried under the bugs.
The story of V and Johnny Silverhand isn't just about "hacking the planet." It’s a surprisingly bleak, philosophical look at mortality and what it means to lose your soul to a corporation. Phantom Liberty doubled down on this, adding a political layer that felt like Bridge of Spies set in a dystopia. When you look at the awards won by cyberpunk 2077 in the narrative categories, you see a recognition of the writers who stayed consistent even when the programmers were under fire.
What this means for the future of the franchise
So, what is the takeaway here?
The industry has sent a clear message: redemption is possible, but it is incredibly expensive. Cyberpunk 2077 is now sitting on dozens of "Game of the Year" or "Best Expansion" wins from various outlets. It has reclaimed its spot as a "must-play" title.
But there’s a cautionary tale here, too. The sequel, currently codenamed "Project Orion," won't have the luxury of a bad start. The "Labor of Love" narrative only works once. CD Projekt Red has moved their operations to North America for the next installment, and the pressure to sweep the awards on launch day next time will be immense.
Actionable insights for players and collectors
If you are looking to experience the award-winning version of this universe, do not just play the base game and call it a day. The "Complete Edition" or the "Ultimate Edition" is the version that actually earned the accolades.
- Prioritize the 2.0 mechanics: If you played at launch and hated it, the new Perk system and vehicle combat are entirely different. It feels like a sequel.
- Play Phantom Liberty mid-game: Don't wait until the very end of the main story. The expansion integrates into the main narrative and offers some of the best gear in the game.
- Check the "Best Ongoing" status: Watch the patch notes even now. While major development has shifted to the sequel, the developers still drop small "Radiant" updates and quality-of-life tweaks that keep it stable.
- Look at the "Edgerunners" content: There are specific in-game items (like David Martinez’s jacket) that were added to celebrate the anime’s award-winning run. They are tucked away in side quests that add significant flavor to the world.
The legacy of Cyberpunk 2077 is no longer just a warning about pre-ordering games. It is a case study in how to listen to a community, put your head down, and work until the trophies start coming for the right reasons.