Cyberpunk 2077is one of the most hotly anticipated games of 2020, and with the star power attached to voice-act in the game, that will come as little surprise to many players. Not only have fans been waiting for the game since its first teaser trailer was released 8 years ago, but delays byThe Witcherdeveloper CD Projekt Red have only increased the hype surrounding its release.
As more TV and movie actors find high-profile work in video games, withGiancarlo Esposito now appearing inFar Cry 6as the villain, fans have more and more reasons to be curious about the voices behind their favorite video games. CD Projekt Red’s next RPG will be no exception; here’sCyberpunk 2077’s star-studded voice actor cast list.
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Johnny Silverhand: Keanu Reeves
By far, the biggest name in the game is Keanu Reeves, and the star ofThe MatrixandJohn Wickis far from content with a celebrity cameo. Reeves playsJohnny Silverhand, high-profile Rockerboy and lead singer of the anti-corporate band Samurai. Johnny is a character who first appeared in the pen-and-paper RPGCyberpunk 2013, released in 1988. While he is believed to have died in theCyberpunkuniverse in 2020, Johnny seems to have reappeared in 2077 as a “digital ghost” who will guide the player through Night City.
Not only doesKeanu Reeves have the second most dialog inCyberpunknext to the player character, but the developers at CD Projekt Red say he helped write some of his dialog too. What Reeves’ Rockerboy has in store for the player remains to be seen, though he’s sure to have his own agenda that may be at odds with some player characters, especially a corporate V.
Lizzy Wizzy: Grimes
Experimental singerGrimes makes her game debut as Lizzy Wizzy, frontwoman of Lizzy Wizzy and the Metadwarves. In a strange trend for the game’s biggest stars, Grimes’ character also isn’t exactly alive per se. Describing the hour of gameplay she saw, Grimes said that Lizzy Wizzy commits suicide onstage at one of her performances, before a medical team revives her for the remainder of the concert by replacing her entire body with cybernetics.
The surreal nature of the character won’t come as a surprise to any fans familiar with Grimes’ work, and though the size of her role has yet to be revealed, it’s likely to leave a lasting impact on players. The relationship between the world of subversive music and the violent consumerism of the corporate landscape has always been an interesting dynamic in theCyberpunkgames, and one sure to put Grimes’ Lizzy Wizzy in an interesting light compared withKeanu Reeves’ Johnny Silverhand.
Dexter “Dex” DeShawn: Michael Leon-Wooley
Dex Deshawn has featured heavily in thegameplay and trailers released forCyberpunk, working as a fixer who manages illegal contracts in Night City. The character is voiced by Michael Leon-Wooley, perhaps best known for a very different kind of role, playing Louis the Jazz-loving alligator in Disney’s 2009The Princess and the Frog.
The actor has cut his teeth on villainous video game roles as well, however, lending his voice to DC’sDarkseid in theInjusticefranchise. He has also done voices forGTA V,World of Warcraft: Legion, andKing’s Quest. Said to have killer intuition and knowledge of almost everything going on in Night City, Leon-Wooley’s DeShawn is sure to be a great asset to any player, if they can stay on his good side.
V: Cherami Leigh and Gavin Drea
V is the player character inCyberpunk 2077, and while there’s 2 male and 2 female voice actors for V, it is likely that the other two actors listed, Lidia Sadowa and Kamil Kula, will only be playing V in the Polish-language version of the game, as CD Projekt Red has confirmed that players will not be able tocustomize V’s voice inCyberpunk 2077beyond two gender options.
Cherami Leigh will be providing the female voice for V in the English version of the game and is a video game veteran, having lent her versatile talent to the voices of Caeda, Gwendolyn, Cecilia, Mae, andRhea inFire Emblem, and Makoto inPersona 5. The male voice for V will be provided by Gavin Drea, who played Sergeant Cooper inValerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, and so will be no stranger to surreal sci-fi settings.
CD Projekt Red has stated that either of these voices can be chosen by any character of any body type, with Jonkers saying that the choice was made in the hopes of giving players “the freedom to make their own character and play the way they want to play.” The developer has come under fire for some of the depictions oftrans people inCyberpunkrevealed so far, so whether Jonkers’ aim will be realized ultimately remains to be seen in the final project.
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Additional Voices
The world ofCyberpunkis filled with familiar voices from across games, TV, movies, and theatre. Samuel Barnett, best known for originating the role of David Posner in Alan Bennet’s playThe History Boysand the film of the same name, as well as starring with Elijah Woods in the BBC America adaptation ofDirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, voices the car AI featured in the2019 E3Cyberpunkcinematic trailer.
Jason Hightower fromRed Dead 2andFallout 76playsJackie Welles, who meets his end in that same trailer, though with digital ghosts and cybernetic bodies abound, the extent of his role in-game remains to be seen. Mark Holden, best known forKingsman 2andFinal Destination, voices Doctor Paradox, an underground conspiracy publisher who aims to “shake up the masses”.
These are just some of the voice talents players have been able to glean from the teasers and gameplay released overCyberpunk’s long development cycle. Considering how well kept a secret even Keanu Reeves’ involvement was until its big E3 reveal, it is likely there are many voices players will recognize diffused across the streets ofNight City, and many more they will get to know.
Cyberpunk 2077will release November 19 for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions to follow.
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