CD Projekt Red’s recent delay of Cyberpunk 2077 was followed by the news that the post-launch Cyberpunk multiplayer won’t launch until 2022 or late, bringing further disappointment to fans anticipating the massive RPG’s release. But Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t the first game to release its multiplayer component separately, and the tactic has produced some high-quality standalone experiences.

Before the delay, CD Projekt Red had already announced that Cyberpunk 2077’s multiplayer would arrive after the game released. The developer said it would first release the base game, then free DLC and single-player content, followed finally by multiplayer. While fans knew it would be a wait, it wasn’t clear how long until the Cyberpunk 2077 delay, which doused any hopes of a late-2020 or early-2021 multiplayer launch.

Cyberpunk 2077 is one of a few high-profile games this generation - and one last-gen game - to release its multiplayer component separately from the main game. As game development takes longer and as live-service games dominate the triple-A space, this trend will likely to continue, especially for games where single-player is the main focus. The following triple-A games all released (or will release) multiplayer post-launch.

Grand Theft Auto 5

Grand Theft Auto 5’s September 2013 launch at the end of the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation left a major impression, as GTA 5 became one of the best-reviewed games of all time. But it was the October 2013 launch of the multiplayer GTA Online mode that has likely kept the game relevant to this day. The controversial casino gambling update, for example, led to GTA 5’s biggest day and week, more than five years after the game launched.

Final Fantasy 15

Almost a year after its November 2016 launch, Final Fantasy 15 received an odd multiplayer expansion called Final Fantasy 15: Comrades. The DLC takes place after the main game’s story, allowing players to create their own avatars and go on monster-hunting quests out in Final Fantasy 15’s open world. These quests were rather repetitive, however, and many unclear mechanics made the mode seem like more of a simple add-on rather than a complete experience.

Dying Light

Techland’s 2015 single-player zombie game received a multiplayer add-on in the form of Dying Light: Bad Blood, a 12-player battle royale. The expansion was released in September 2018 as standalone game through Steam’s early access program and is still available for purchase, but the Bad Blood project appears to have been abandoned, having not received any updates since March 2018.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Following in the footsteps of the developer’s previous success with GTA Online, Rockstar released Red Dead Online a month after Red Dead Redemption 2’s October 2018 launch. Much like GTA Online, Rockstar has continued to release Red Dead Online updates that add new content to the mode, keeping players entertained with new missions, outfits, and more.

The Last of Us 2

Fans of the original Last of Us’ unique, survival-focused multiplayer mode were disappointed when Naughty Dog announced The Last of Us 2 multiplayer wasn’t happening. Following the fan outcry, Naughty Dog explained The Last of Us 2’s multiplayer was apparently too ambitious to be included alongside the single-player, and the developer will eventually release multiplayer again in some form. It’s not clear if this will be a standalone multiplayer game in the Last of Us universe or some kind of expansion, but it will likely quite a long time before Naughty Dog reveals anything.

Cyberpunk 2077

While CD Projekt Red has confirmed that the aforementioned Cyberpunk multiplayer mode exists, it’s unknown how it will be implemented. It could be a simple player-versus-player mode that borrows the game’s combat mechanics and ignores the RPG elements, like Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer, but it would certainly be more interesting if CD Projekt Red was able to find a way to incorporate multiplayer elements into the core game. Perhaps the team could implement a Dark Souls-like invasion system or something like Watch Dogs 2’s Bounty Hunter mode.

Next: The Most Anticipated Video Games of 2020