All The Memes Hidden In ‘Cyberpunk 2077’

Spoiler Note: While this article doesn’t contain any spoilers for the story, those who want to find these Easter eggs on their own may want to avoid continuing.

It’s certainly not a new concept to include references to internet and meme culture within a video game’s world, but Cyberpunk 2077 is the latest to do so — and with quite an extensive list. With examples from internet humor and iconic meme formats to pop culture and more, CD Projekt Red’s futuristic RPG is chock-full of them, so let’s dig into all the memes hidden in Cyberpunk 2077.

Meme Formats and Internet Culture References

Perhaps the most obvious source of the game’s meme references comes in the form of various poses in the Photo Mode. Allowing players to set up custom shots with their in-game characters, the photo editor has a number of iconic meme formats many have easily recognized.

One of the most memorable among these is Drakeposting, which can be found in the Photo Mode poses “Hard Pass” and “Now You're Talking.” Given its prevalence online despite existing for years, players have recreated the meme and even made full-blown examples with the pose directly copying the original image.

A bit more subtle than some of these, players took notice of the similarities between the Master Ram Liberator Perk in the Quickhacking tree to the Galaxy Brain format, which definitely appears to be an homage. Also easy to miss, the “Bushido and Chill” achievement awarded for completing the side job Blistering Love makes a quick nod to the Netflix and Chill meme.

The Sphynx cat Nibbles players can keep in V’s apartment also makes a subtle nod to internet culture in the form of the shard called “Feed teh cat,” evoking the olden days of LOLcats. Quite an old reference as well, which stems from the Troll Science meme “Turboencabulator” and viral video “Rockwell Retro Encabulator,” the “Cyberencabulator” machine made by Arasaka Corp. can be found during the Belly of the Beast mission at the top of the staircase hidden in a tunnel.

Of course, since Cyberpunk has produced numerous memes of its own over the years, Keanu Reeve’s “You’re Breathtaking” quote can be seen in-game through both a photo pose by the same name and the Breathtaking achievement awarded for collecting Johnny Silverhand’s old items scattered throughout Night City. During the side job Gig: Olive Branch, the character Sergei can also be heard saying "breathtaking" as another reference to the meme.

There are also several international memes referenced in the game through various mediums, such as Emosido Engañado, a misspelled Spanish phrase of "hemos sido Engañado" (“we have been deceived”) that went viral back in 2016. In Cyberpunk, an in-game wall adorned with graffiti depicts the meme on the side of a building. Since CDPR is Polish, there’s also a nod to the famous Polish meme “Pablo Jumper” or “Paweł Jumper” found in Heywood where a motorcycle and corpse are found on a rooftop with a note referencing the meme.

Movie and Television Memes

A classic meme from last year’s Joker movie, the Joker Stairs appear in a pose that has been featured in numerous screenshots from players around the world. Listed under the name “V’s Bizarre Pose,” this pose makes a recognizable reference to the anime and manga series Jojo's Bizarre Adventure in the Photo Mode, as well as the show's character Jotaro.

The pose “Like One of Your French Girls” can also be seen in Photo Mode through the infamous Titanic scene and Draw Me Like One of Your French Girls meme. Located in the bathroom of V’s apartment is a nod to the Three Seashells meme, which stems from the 1993 sci-fi film Demolition Man in which seashells appear to have mysteriously replaced toilet paper in the future.

Star Wars Memes

Next up is the pose “V Shot First” that directly quotes and mimics the Han Shot First meme, originally from Star Wars protagonist Han Solo. Anakin Skywalker’s memorable quote “I Don't Like Sand,” also seen in countless memes, makes a brief appearance during a conversation with one of the Aldecaldos' members but is easily missed unless you trigger it.

Video Game Memes

Prominently featured in meme culture, GLaDOS from the Portal video games gets a funny reference during the Epistrophy side job when encountering one of Delamain’s rogue cabs, who mentions the “Cake is a Lie” meme among several other quotes from the series. Additionally, a reference to Half-Life 3’s elusive release can be found on a shard near the Aldecaldos' camp that includes a short review for a game called “No Life 3.” Also found in Photo Mode, the pose “V for Victory” pays homage to Dark Soul’s beloved Praise the Sun meme.

Celebrity Memes

Another example from none other than internet legend Chuck Norris himself, the Photo Mode pose “Roundhouse ‘Shot to the Face’” references the action star’s quintessential fighting move. Gaming industry legend Hideo Kojima also makes a surprise appearance during the game’s first act when players meet the character Oshima sitting by the bar.

Aside from these, Cyberpunk 2077 also contains so many other pop culture references to TV shows, movies, music, video games and more throughout the world that players can find, but its nods to meme and internet culture are among the funniest. Get out there and see them all for yourself.