Just when I thought Night City couldn't get any better, CD Projekt Red drops the 2.31 patch for Cyberpunk 2077, and let me tell you, it's like they gave the entire city a fresh coat of neon and a tune-up. I've been diving deep into the changes, and some of these fixes and quality-of-life updates are absolute game-changers. From my car finally knowing how to drive itself without causing a 10-car pileup, to taking the perfect, unobstructed screenshot, this patch feels like the final polish on a masterpiece that's been evolving since its rocky launch. It's 2026, and Cyberpunk 2077 is truly living up to its initial promise, feeling more alive and reactive than ever before.
🚗 Vehicles: No More Rogue AI Taxi Drivers!
Okay, the AutoDrive upgrade is HUGE. Before this patch, using it was like trusting a toddler with a tank—you'd end up stopped at a green light or gently nudging every car on the highway. Now? It's smooth as butter. The vehicle actually overtakes blocking traffic and cruises through intersections without stopping for no reason. The Free Roam mode also got smarter, finally following basic traffic rules. It's a small thing, but it makes the city feel infinitely more real when you're not the only one who knows how to drive.
Other vehicle fixes that had me cheering:
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Johnny Silverhand no longer hijacks the passenger seat every time you call a Delamain cab. He's a great conversationalist, but I don't need him judging my ride-share etiquette.
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Fixed the Yaiba Semimaru's wheels flashing rainbow colors when you applied the CrystalCoat paint. My car is a weapon, not a disco ball (unless I want it to be).
📸 Photo Mode: Unleash Your Inner Director
As someone who spends more time in Photo Mode than some missions, these changes are a gift. The biggest one? Disabled NPC collision. This means you can finally pose characters on car hoods, ledges, and other surfaces without them awkwardly floating or clipping through. It's like the game suddenly gave you magnetic action figures to play with.
Other photo ops improvements:
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Most new poses from Update 2.3 now work with any gender V. No more being locked out of a cool stance because of a character creation choice!
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Fixed specific poses for Royce, so you can finally get that perfect, menacing shot of him during your dealings.
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Crafting the perfect screenshot in Night City is now as effortless as a netrunner slicing through a low-level firewall.
🎮 Quests & Open World: Tying Up Loose Ends
CDPR has been quietly stitching up narrative loose threads, and this patch continues that trend. It's like they went back and meticulously darned every tiny hole in the fabric of Night City's stories.
Key Quest Fixes:
| Quest | What Was Fixed | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Freedom | Journal entry for choosing not to steal the Caliburn. | Your moral (or practical) choice is now properly recorded! |
| Motorbreath | River's follow-up text never arriving. | No more ghosting from River Ward! The story flow is restored. |
| Motorbreath | The Yaiba Semimaru flipping over during the chase. | The chase is now actually completable—what a concept! |
| Motorbreath | Can now buy the Semimaru via AUTOFIXER even if you failed The Hunt. | Second chances in Night City? A miracle! |
| Nitro (Youth Energy) | Fixed a game crash after the Yaiba showroom event. | Stability is the real treasure. |
⚙️ Miscellaneous & Platform-Specific Gold
This is where the patch shines for the nitty-gritty details. It's the difference between a good game and a polished one.
For Everyone:
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A toggle to disable vignette! Found in
Settings → Graphics → Basic. For those who find the dark edges cinematic but occasionally claustrophobic. -
Fixed lipsync and localization issues across multiple languages. The dialogue now matches the emotion, not just the words.
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Various fixes for fluff vendors. Even the braindance peddlers deserve a bug-free existence.
PC Players, Rejoice!
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Fixed the dreaded pink screen issue when NVIDIA Reflex was disabled with DLSS Frame Gen on. My screen is for neon, not cotton candy.
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Path Tracing now activates correctly. Let those ray-traced puddles and chrome shine!
Mac Players, You're Not Forgotten!
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Fixed the permanent white screen when entering a braindance with Frame Gen on. The future is bright, but not that bright.
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Graphics presets now match their PC equivalents more closely. No more unintended performance hits.
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Various stability optimizations. Because a crashing game is as useful as a broken cyberdeck.
🎯 Final Thoughts
Patch 2.31 might not add new content, but it refines the experience to a mirror sheen. Driving through the city is now a pleasure, not a chore. Capturing its beauty is unimpeded. The lingering quest bugs that could pull you out of the immersion are being swatted like flies. Playing in 2026, it's astounding to see how far this game has come. It's transformed from a dazzling, chaotic jumble of code into a meticulously crafted and responsive world. The journey of Cyberpunk 2077 has been as dramatic as any in-game story arc, and with patches like this, it feels like we've finally reached the well-earned, satisfying ending. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a city to drive through—on smooth, automatic pilot. See you in the glow, chooms! 🔮