Cyberpunk 2077‘sPhantom Liberty DLC could expand on pets like Nibbles and the role they play in player immersion and attachment. The Cyberpunk 2077 DLC announcement shows CD Projekt Red still has interest in the troubled FPS RPG title, and giving more attention to Nibbles along with any other obtainable animal companions could have a subtle but powerful effect on player retainment. In between missions, side quests, hustles, and shopping sprees, players can use something to come home to, or an excuse to come home at all outside of being a quest location for some chapters of the main quest.

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Once players figure out where to find Cyberpunk 2077‘s pet cat Nibbles, they’ll have a companion to keep them company at home, but pets have received some tweaks and improvements over the game’s lifespan. Their AI has improved and Nibbles has been integrated into the photo mode so V can take them sightseeing across Night City. Although these pets are good for checking up on once in a while, they require no maintenance and don’t add much to the normal gameplay experience. Cyberpunk 2077 is gearing up for another big update, however, a paid DLC by the name of Phantom Liberty. There’s set to be a new map and story, but currently, any information outside an action-packed trailer and a short, succinct description is pure speculation.

Phantom Liberty has the chance to make pets a more present and immersive factor in Cyberpunk 2077. The home in Cyberpunk 2077, even if a player home mod, isn’t used by most players for anything other than occasionally visiting it to progress the main quest line. Nibbles and others are in the position to bring V home and take a break from the action, while putting them more consistently in the minds of players. Phantom Liberty could include more dynamic mechanics regarding Nibbles, the iguana, and perhaps even more pets added to V’s collection. Needs and requirements will bring the player home much more often, and quests could even be introduced with V’s pet companions roping their owner into more interesting scenarios to play through. A pet-sitter could even be integrated that keeps V updated on their pets along with pictures, reducing the tediousness but keeping the player connection and attachment strong.

Nibbles Can Be More Than A Distraction In Cyberpunk 2077 DLC

Phantom Liberty could even include pet character customization in Cyberpunk 2077 along with more in-game integration. Players could seek out and purchase dyes to recolor some pets or haircuts/implants to modify their appearance. The customization could even go beyond just the animal’s appearance. Nibbles and the iguana are often depicted reclining and hanging about V’s normal furniture in their apartment, but if the player installs some fixtures into their apartment, the iguana could roam inside a spacious well-tailored aquarium and Nibbles could enjoy the comforts of a nice, futuristic scratching post or even a catio. Much of the pet experience could be tweaked and tailored to the player’s preferences through purchases and visits home.

All of these measures can serve not only to richen player’s solitary interactions with Nibbles, but strengthen the player’s attachment and immersion into Cyberpunk 2077‘s Night City and its map as a whole. Players often aren’t concerned with much else than making sure V makes it through each job alive and picking the right choices along the myriad quests. Giving players something they can care about outside their own skin and that of their various allies and companions helps the player become more invested in their house and home. Phantom Liberty has the chance to make Nibbles, the iguana, and perhaps any new pets the DLC may include into more active participants of the gameplay loop and story.