Cyberpunk 2077 Lore Gangs of Night City
Want to become a legend in Night City? Then it's essential you know as much as possible about the Gangs. The time may come, when you are forced to confront or cooperate with one of them, and knowing their style will get you a lot further than those new Mantis Blades you just chipped in. Maelstrom are a dangerous, violent gang from Night City’s industrial zone. Members are fascinated by the Net and undergo extensive illegal Cyberware modifications. Many of the gang’s members are on the verge of developing cyberpsychosis or already have the condition. Cyberoptical implants, cyberlimbs with built-in combat modifications, and subdermal body plating are common. Maelstrom’s main revenue stream comes from smuggling drugs, such as tri-phet. They are known for taking hit jobs, which they execute in brutal and bizarre fashions. Many of their victims are found dismembered or skinned alive. Another significant source of Maelstrom income is the Totentanz Club. Located in an abandoned factory, it is the most popular drink venue in Night City. There are also rumours that Maelstrom are involved in the production of black market braindance records- especially of the extreme violent variety. The majority of Valentinos are of Mexican heritage, but other races and ethnic groups are welcome to join. Members tend to integrate quickly, adopting the Chicano culture by celebrating various Mexican holidays and customs like Dia de los Muertos. The community’s loyalty protects the gang members, making any police or corporate attempts to infiltrate the Valentinos almost impossible. In return, the gang protects the whole neighbourhood. It’s for these reasons that betraying one’s gang is among the most heinous crimes a Valentino can commit. The Valentinos own many legitimate businesses such as restaurants, night clubs, braindance recording studios and a construction company. Valentinos who died fighting other gangs, police or corporates are often remembered as martyrs, commemorated in song, and depicted on giant murals.
6th Street was formed by veterans of the Fourth Corporate War to keep hoodlums at bay, and give the people retribution against gang activity. Today the majority of 6th Street members are veterans of more recent conflicts, retired military and discharged corporate security officers who were unable to find other employment. Their main motivation is still ostensibly to “bring justice to the city”, but their interpretation of the law is questionable and self-serving.
6th Street specialise in robbery, extortion, gun smuggling and stealing cars. Voodoo Boys are an enigmatic gang from Pacifica with a dark reputation for their netrunning skills and mystical voodoo flavour. The gang became the self-appointed guardians of Haitian refugee interests and safety in the Pacifica combat zone. Most Voodoo Boys are netrunners, so cooling suits and neural implants are common elements of each member’s outfit. The gang is devoted to uncovering the secrets of the Old Net. Its commonly believed that they continuously probe the Blackwall in the hope of making contact with rogue AI that live beyond the barrier. Animals are known for eschewing the most common cyberware in favour of custom brewed body enhancements. They use ultra-testosterone and animal supplements, including equine growth hormone. They are keen on cage fights, and other displays of physical force. Animals are fascinated with the feral, primal side of human nature. They perceive this aspect of humanity as the border between man and animal, and are each on a personal quest to cross that border to establish themselves as a new dominant human subspecies. To achieve these ends, they constantly subject themselves to various brutal and violent tests of skill. They train in fighting sports not for philosophical reasons, but to sharpen their effectiveness in combat. Animals are divided into small packs, led by the strongest gang member, the alpha male or female. Disputes are resolved through trial by combat, which is fought until one side completely submits. Animals often organize illegal underground fights, and manufacture and sell drugs, mostly anabolic steroids. The Tyger Claws are a ruthless territorial gang from Japantown who use methods similar to those of Asian organized crime syndicates like the triads or yakuza. They own more businesses than any other gang in Night City, Bars, restaurants, braindance clubs, brothels and casinos. The gang makes most of its money on prostitution, human trafficking and the manufacture and distribution of the infamous glitter drug. The Claws have close ties with Arasaka, who have been known to outsource jobs to the gang and provide them with military grade cyberware and weapons. The Mox are a nonterritorial gang, consisting mostly of sex workers, anarchists and sexual minorities. Formed in the interest of mutual self-defence, their name comes from the old slang word “moxie,” denoting their determination to stand up to their oppressors. The Mox were formed during the riots that occurred after the death of Elizabeth “Lizzie” Borden”.
In 2067, one of Lizzie’s girls was murdered by the Tyger Claws. Lizzie avenged her by killing three of the assailants with an axe and displayed their bodies in front of her club, proclaiming this was the fate of anyone who attacked one of her girls. That night, Tyger Claws raided her bar, before killing Elizabeth. Her death set off a wave of protracted riots all over Night City. Those events cemented Elizabeth Borden as a symbol of defiance against gang lawlessness and brutality. Her ideological successors commemorated her by rebuilding her place, naming it “Lizzie’s Bar” and forming a gang that brought together those who felt threatened and oppressed, especially among sex workers. Exiles from various Nomad Nations, the Wraiths are scavengers and sociopaths who prey on the innocent and the weak. Some are total cyberpsychotics; rumoured to wear clothing made of human skin. Aggressive and vicious, they have dominated the areas surrounding Night City, attacking other Nomads and weakly guarded corporate transports. To most Night City dwellers who don’t often encounter Nomads, Wraiths are indistinguishable from their former kin. Ambushes performed by the Wraiths are often reported by victims as “Nomad attacks” and are the reason that innocent Nomads are sometimes greeted with negativity. The Aldecaldos operate in the Free States of the West Coast, where they transport passengers and merchandise over state borders in large, well-guarded convoys. Originally from Los Angeles, their story began with Juan Aldecaldo. His daughter, Maria, was killed in a car accident the day before her seventeenth birthday. His son Ramon, died in a robbery homicide on his nineteenth birthday. When the media came to interview Juan, he spoke with candour of what had transpired. The interview went viral, and thousands attended his son’s funeral. This solidarity would lead to the formation of a new Nomad group. When the Aldecaldos returned to the U.S in 2015, they brought back, Johnny Silverhand, who had spent the best part of two years hiding after the Arasaka Tower riot. Their new leader was Santiago, who had helped Silverhand in the attempted rescue of Alt Cunningham. Thank you for Chippin’ In
