There was a Cyberpunk 2077 mod which let players bed Johnny Silverhand, played by the one and only Keanu Reeves. But, CD Projekt Red found out about the scandalous character swaps, and poured cold water on that endeavour.
Before Cyberpunk 2077 launched (oh, what a time of hope, optimism, and light that was), gamers were dismayed to learn that Johnny Silverhand wasn't romanceable. He's far more focused on giving the Arasaka Corporation their just desserts, and there's frankly no room in his heart for dilly-dallying. In fact, there's no room in his heart at all because he hasn't got one. Johnny Silverhand is only "alive" thanks to an engram taken in the 2020s, which is like a virtual representation of the individual's consciousness stored on a chip. It takes two to tango, and he hasn't got a body to dance the night away with a special someone.
Having a body is overrated, honestly, and this Cyberpunk 2077 modder evidently agreed. Their files let the player swap out romance options like Judy and Panam, and the two Joytoys (a silly futuristic slang word for a sex worker) for Johnny Silverhand. The mod also included other characters like Goku Takemura, Lizzy Wizzy, and even the hulking baddie Adam Smasher. Hey, each to their own. However, CD Projekt Red caught wind of the mod, and acted quickly to shut it down.
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"Our most important rule regarding user-generated content, game mods in particular, is that it can't be harmful towards others. In the case of model swaps, especially those that involve explicit situations, it can be perceived as such by the people who lent us their appearance for the purpose of creating characters in Cyberpunk 2077," said CD Projekt Red in a statement supplied to PC Gamer. "Therefore, 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). 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," concluded the explanation.
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If you ask me, this is fair enough. Johnny Silverhand is literally Keanu Reeves' likeness, and I think it's funny (peculiar, not haha) that his face has been stuck on other characters' so players are able to sleep with him. But, the mod is only a character swap, instead of a fully-fledged fan creation which uses his voice and adds new scenarios, so it strikes me as coming from a place of curiosity and not sleaziness.
In any event, the studio has been firm about what is and isn't allowed in Cyberpunk 2077, and referred modders to the game's license agreement and fan content guidelines.
Featured Image Credit: CD Projekt RedTopics: News, Cyberpunk 2077