BREAKING NEWS: Night City Commits to Chaos – Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 2.31 Unleashes ‘Wreckless’ AutoDrive Upgrade

CD Projekt Red has delivered yet another significant quality-of-life update to Night City, dropping Patch 2.31 for Cyberpunk 2077 on September 11, 2025. This latest patch, rolling out across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Mac, and Nintendo Switch 2, is primarily focused on a crucial overhaul of the newly introduced AutoDrive feature. The core takeaway? V’s self-driving vehicles have officially traded frustrating stop-and-go realism for aggressive, high-speed, and downright criminal efficiency, making this a pivotal moment for open-world RPGs and a magnet for players interested in next-gen console gaming and high-end PC hardware.

The changes address a key point of frustration from the previous 2.3 update: the AutoDrive feature, while a welcome addition for scenic cruising, was criticized for its “sticky handbrake” tendency—constantly applying the brakes, getting stuck in traffic, and taking painfully slow turns. The new system is designed to correct this, injecting a much-needed dose of Night City’s signature recklessness into the vehicle AI. This dramatic shift is expected to generate massive interest and search volume in the video game patches and Cyberpunk 2077 mods communities.

The AutoDrive Overhaul: Smooth Operator or Traffic Menace?

The most consequential changes are detailed clearly in the official patch notes under the ‘Vehicles’ section. The upgrade splits the AutoDrive functionality into two distinct behaviors, one for travel and one for leisure, thereby satisfying both the strategy simulation game enthusiasts and those who just want to chill.

• Driving to a Selected Point: When V sets a destination waypoint, the AutoDrive is now “disengaged.” The vehicle is programmed to drive “smoothly, overtakes blocking vehicles, and no longer stops at traffic lights.” In essence, V’s car is now driving like a true Night City mercenary—prioritizing speed and efficiency over any semblance of the law. This is the fix players have clamored for, turning the feature into a genuinely useful, time-saving tool for immersive gameplay.
• Free Roam Mode: The more leisurely option has also been upgraded to “follow traffic rules and navigate the city more reliably.” This preserves the original intent of the feature—to allow V to sit back, listen to the radio, and take in the stunning ray tracing and graphics of the environment—but with fewer frustrating hang-ups.

The immediate reaction from the player base on platforms like Reddit has been mixed but overwhelmingly focused on the “no longer stops at traffic lights” detail. This controversial but effective solution has been dubbed the “Wreckless Auto-Driving Mode” by many in the gaming news sphere, generating buzz that will boost search rankings for Cyberpunk 2077 latest update content.

Beyond the Asphalt: Photo Mode and Performance Fixes

While the driving changes steal the headlines, Patch 2.31 includes several other significant quality-of-life adjustments that enhance the overall gaming experience and appeal to the high-value content creation segment of the player base.

• Photo Mode Enhancements: The latest major update (2.3) introduced a host of new poses, but many were gender-locked. Patch 2.31 fixes this, ensuring “most” of the new poses work with any gender. Crucially, it also “disabled NPC collision,” making it vastly easier to stage elaborate, perfect screenshots by positioning characters on objects like car hoods without them bouncing off.
• Critical PC/Mac Fixes: CDPR addressed several platform-specific issues, including a particularly humorous yet alarming one where a conflict between NVIDIA Reflex and DLSS Frame Generation could cause the screen to turn pink on PC. This technical fix is vital for maintaining stability on high-performance gaming PCs and is a major win for the company’s reputation in the gaming technology space.
• Miscellaneous and Quest Fixes: A long list of smaller fixes resolves frustrating quest progression blockers in side jobs like ‘Motorbreath’ and ‘Nitro (Youth Energy)’. Furthermore, the patch adds a much-requested toggle to disable the cinematic vignette effect, granting players more control over their visual preferences.

The Ongoing Legacy: A Final Bow?

Patch 2.31 arrives shortly after Update 2.3, which CD Projekt Red had previously suggested would be the final major content drop for the original Cyberpunk 2077. The continuous flow of patches, even after the launch of the massive Phantom Liberty expansion, underscores the studio’s commitment to polishing the core game as development focuses shift to the sequel, Cyberpunk 2 (Project Orion). Each subsequent patch, even a minor one, reaffirms the game’s strong post-launch support, driving sustained interest in AAA gaming and role-playing games.

By making AutoDrive reckless, CD Projekt Red has embraced the very nature of Night City: where speed trumps safety, and traffic laws are just suggestions. This update transforms the commute from a chore into a uniquely Cyberpunk experience. Players looking for the ultimate, polished edition of this dystopian adventure are finding their patience rewarded, as the game continues to evolve into a must-play experience for both new and returning ‘Choombas.’

The full Patch 2.31 notes are available on the official Cyberpunk 2077 website. The roads of Night City just got a lot more interesting—and a lot more dangerous.