Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 tops Netflix’s US chart a day after release

Well, here’s a turn-up you probably didn’t see coming—unless you spend far too much time glued to Netflix's trending row. As of October 21, 2026, it isn’t The Diplomat or any glossy thriller sitting pretty at the top of the US streaming charts. No, the crown has gone to Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the rather stylish anime series inspired by the Cyberpunk 2077 video game universe.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners shot to No. 1 on US Netflix right after its second season dropped on October 20, 2026.

The New Top Dog

This isn’t the show’s first run at glory, but its return with Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 has propelled it right to the top of Netflix’s TV rankings, according to the latest FlixPatrol streaming figures. The sequel arrived on October 20, 2026, and within just a day, it overtook all contenders—including a few once-solid Netflix staples that probably thought they were safe.

For the uninitiated, the original Edgerunners series launched back in 2022 as a slick tie-in cooked up by CD Projekt Red (the folks behind the game) and Studio Trigger. It wasn’t just popular—it was a critical darling too, pulling in a full-blooded 100% Rotten Tomatoes score on the back of sixteen gushing reviews. It even snatched the Anime of the Year trophy at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards in 2023.

Fresh Team, Fresh Faces

So, what’s changed for season two? Most of the original creative team are still in the mix, though there’s a reshuffle up top. Kai Ikarashi now directs, with series regular Bartosz Sztybor wearing several hats as writer, producer, and overall showrunner. Masahiko Otsuka is back in scriptwriting duty, and Ichigo Kanno has come aboard to handle character designs. The showrunners haven’t recycled the old formula—season two is built around a totally new storyline, with an entirely different cast of characters. So, if you’re hoping for a straight continuation, temper your expectations.

• Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 was first confirmed by CD Projekt Red in July 2025
• The series teaser landed on Netflix in September 2024
• Original season released in 2022 and hit 14.88 million viewing hours in its opening week
• Cyberpunk 2077 game sales crossed 20 million following the anime's success
• A prequel manga spin-off titled Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Madness launched December 2024
• Lucy from Edgerunners appeared as a playable character in Guilty Gear Strive in August 2025

More Than Just TV

Edgerunners wasn’t just a hit for Netflix and anime fans: it provided a proper shot in the arm for the underlying video game as well. After its 2022 debut, viewers racked up nearly 15 million hours of streaming time in week one, and interest in Cyberpunk 2077 the game spiked fast. Sales rocketed past 20 million copies, piggybacking off the series' sudden popularity.

CD Projekt Red has never shied from making the most of a hot property. The company’s joint CEO, Michal Nowakowski, had already teased more animated projects were in motion. Netflix, quick to keep the momentum, dropped a short teaser for the sequel in September 2024. Since then, the Cyberpunk universe has only kept spreading—spawning a prequel manga, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Madness, in December 2024, and even landing a crossover with Guilty Gear Strive in August 2025 when Lucy showed up as a playable fighter.