Ever since the E3 2019 reveal that Keanu Reeves would be playing the punk rock legend Johnny Silverhands in Cyberpunk 2077, and the subsequent reveal that he’d be the player’s closest ally throughout the game, one question has remained at the front of everyone’s mind: Can we smooch Keanu Reeves?
Prepare to be disappointed if you were hoping to lock lips with the sci-fi bard. According to an interview with Video Games Chronicle, you cannot romance Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077.
“Keanu plays a crucial role in the game, but as for the option to romance him, I don’t believe you can,” Cyberpunk 2077 level designer Max Pears told VGC.
Check out our recommendations for games to play before Cyberpunk hits:
The question came up as part of a broader interview about how Cyberpunk 2077 would handle character interactions with V, given that the player can be male, female, or somewhat gender fluid. CD Projekt Red is relying on the fact that you’ll always be referred to as V to help avoid moments of dialogue where the player character might be misgendered one way or another.
“We really want to make sure players get the representation that they want,” Pears told VGC. “In the genre of Cyberpunk as well, it asks such deep questions about what it means to be human, let alone what it means to define your gender. Having that customisation match how you feel is your representation of how you feel… it’s important for us and it’s important to the lore of this world too.”
Get a look at what the world and characters of Cyberpunk 2077 look like up close:
All that said, Pears also mentioned that the genitals a character has will be determined by the gender they select at the beginning of the game.
“We have the body type that you select and then the genitals will be determined by that,” Pears said. “You can have a male or female voice with either body, but the genitals are defined by the body.”
In any case, if you were hoping to romance Keanu Reeves, you’ll have to look elsewhere. CDPR did say at E3 2018 that Cyberpunk 2077 would have more diverse romance options than the female-only selection of the Witcher 3. Cyberpunk 2077 is out on April 16, 2020.
Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/Keanu Reeves seducer for IGN.
