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Cyberpunk 2077’s permanent Relic Malfunction was reported after a Johnny conversation near the end of Automatic Love. CD PROJEKT RED addressed the screen distortion in Patch 2.01, but warned that the update would not fix saves already corrupted before it. If an older save still has the effect, a 2023 guide describes possible workarounds—but none is guaranteed.
What the permanent Relic Malfunction looked like
Players described the game’s visual distortion or Relic Malfunction effect continuing after the scene where it should have ended. One player report links the effect to the elevator conversation with Johnny after Automatic Love; that account is anecdotal and does not establish one dialogue choice as the cause in every reported case. Read the player report.
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CD PROJEKT RED’s more specific description identifies a dialogue choice at the end of the quest. In its Patch 2.01 notes, the studio said: “The distortion effect caused by talking to Johnny and selecting a specific dialogue option at the end of the quest will no longer persist on the screen.” See the Patch 2.01 notes.
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Patch 2.01, dated October 5, 2023, is the official documented fix for the described distortion. The same notes include an important limitation: “Note: this won’t fix saves corrupted before the update.” In other words, updating may prevent the described effect from persisting after the relevant dialogue, but CD PROJEKT RED explicitly excluded saves that were already corrupted before the update from that repair.
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That warning does not establish that every pre-2.01 save is permanently unrecoverable. Nor does it establish whether a particular old save can be repaired by another method.
Workarounds reported for affected saves
GameRevolution’s 2023 guide describes two approaches. These are secondary-source, player-facing suggestions—not procedures certified by CD PROJEKT RED—and the guide does not provide a verified success rate. Make a separate backup of your save before trying either route.
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| Option | Platforms | What the guide says | Important caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
| FX Begone mod | PC | Load the affected save with FX Begone active, save, exit the game, and then remove the mod. The guide says the cleared effect should remain after removal. | Mods change game files. Follow the mod’s current instructions and keep a backup save. This is not a console option. |
| Complete Brendan’s side quests | PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S | Complete I Can See Clearly Now and Spray Paint; the guide reports that these can reset V’s viewpoint and clear the effect. | Reported, not guaranteed. If these quests are already complete, the guide names I Fought the Law and Happy Together (sad path) as other possibilities, but calls them less straightforward. |
Read GameRevolution’s workaround guide for its full instructions. The side-quest route is the listed option for console players; the mod approach is limited to PC.
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Which option fits your situation?
- Your save was made after Patch 2.01: the official notes address the described dialogue-triggered distortion. If it appears anyway, the available sources do not confirm that it is the same bug or establish a current recurrence pattern.
- Your affected save predates Patch 2.01: the patch notes say the update does not fix saves corrupted before it. If Brendan’s quests remain available, the guide’s side-quest suggestion does not require a mod.
- You are on PC and are comfortable modifying game files: the guide’s FX Begone route is an option, but preserve a backup and follow the mod’s current instructions.
- You are on PS5 or Xbox Series X|S: the guide reports the Brendan quest route for these consoles; it does not offer the PC mod route for them.
Is the bug still present in current versions?
CD PROJEKT RED’s Patch 2.31 notes, dated September 11, 2025, list updates for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Mac, and Nintendo Switch 2, but do not mention this Relic Malfunction issue. That omission does not show that the bug has returned, and it does not show that every pre-2.01 affected save was repaired. The available official notes therefore establish the 2.01 fix and its limitation, not the status of every legacy save in later builds. See Patch 2.31 notes.
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