Who created the Cyberpunk tabletop game series that became the basis for Cyberpunk 2077?

Mike Pondsmith created the Cyberpunk tabletop game series that became the basis for Cyberpunk 2077.

Pondsmith is an American game designer and the founder of R. Talsorian Games. He created the original Cyberpunk role-playing game, later followed by Cyberpunk 2020 and Cyberpunk RED. These games established the setting’s core ideas: powerful megacorporations, cybernetic enhancement, social stratification, netrunning, and characters who survive by taking dangerous jobs.

Cyberpunk 2077 uses many elements from Pondsmith’s setting, including Night City, Johnny Silverhand, Arasaka, Militech, and the rockerboy concept. Pondsmith worked as a creative consultant on the video game, helping CD Projekt Red maintain continuity with the tabletop universe while developing a new story.

He is sometimes confused with the game’s developer or its protagonist. Pondsmith did not develop Cyberpunk 2077 and does not play V; CD Projekt Red developed the game, and V is its customizable player character. Pondsmith’s role is that of the original tabletop creator and setting designer.