Is there a detailed backstory to the world in cyberpunk?

[Eren Jäger]

I've just started and I'm still relatively early in the Game. The cyberpunk universe is really awesome and really makes you feel like you're part of it. But many allusions are made, which leave many questions.

For example, if you start as a Nomad, you will see a map of the USA at the border of Night city. The US is divided into four states without this being explained in detail. In addition, corporate wars are mentioned, what exactly happened there I couldn't read anywhere.

How come a few big corporations have such great power? Why, for example, is a Japanese corporation treated like kings in an American city?

So many questions.

[Zebedee]

If you check in the game folders there's a pdf copy of the original sourcebook for the tabletop RPG Cyberpunk 2020. (Should be a file path like: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Cyberpunk 2077\BonusContent\sourcebook" ). Assuming you're playing on PC etc.

There's a lot of additional things written by Mike Pondsmith right up to the current version of Cyberpunk Red. He's also going to be writing more to take the world up to 2077 same as the game. This is where to pick them up from: https://rtalsoriangames.com/cyberpunk/

(Incidentally, Pondsmith does the voice for Maximum Mike on the Morro Rock radio station - worth listening to for more little hints about lore in the world of 2077.)

But, yes, there's a lot going on but the original sourcebook will answer some of your questions and things evolved from that.

[1nfinitysL1mit]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRwCP37RilI&t=2967s&ab_channel=WiseFish
Pretty in depth.

[HenryThe12]

You can also check out the official guidebook for the game by Piggyback, lots of information in it. I'd recommend the Hardcover Collector's Edition!

https://www.piggyback.com/us/guide/cyberpunk-2077/

[Bahamut_A6M5]

The US came apart after the Collapse in 1996. From there, six states (Alaska, Nevada, California, Texas and Utah - with California breaking into North and South California some time later) went their own way, while keeping some relationship with the US federal government the same way a foreign country would do.

Corporations manage to hold such power because neoliberalism allowed to do so. With states retreating more and more while leaving the free market to cater for all the things states did in the past (universal education and healthcare systems, etc.) in hands of private companies. While corporations tread lightly in First World countries (states there still hold some power, specially military), in other countries, corporations basically do their bidding as their economical power is several times that of those undeveloped or underdeveloped countries.

And corpo wars, if memory serves me, were 2004-2005 (corporations fighting over the control of TWA), 2007 (fight over control of petroleum in the sea of China), 2016 (fighting over control of Internet) and 2023 (Militech and Arasaka fight for control over Night City, although they use other conflict between other corporations as a proxy. It's the 'Saka tower bombing by Silverhand).