Today we are diving into the Sports of Cyberpunk 2020, how drastically they’ve shifted since the 90s and the corporate interests and backing behind the augmented future of sport.
This is based off RTalsorian’s Cyberpunk 2020 Home of The Brave Sourcebook which 2077 is based on, so if you are interested in the source material there will be a link in the description.
Sports have changed somewhat since the 90s where the professional sports industry was arguably the most powerful in the world. Generating over 100 billion per annum in media revenues it’s safe to say that Sports teams and their players were involved in a very lucrative industry.
20th century athletes drove themselves to insane lengths, driven to the brink by peers, family and media in an effort to be good enough to demand salaries and contracts that could add up to as much as 50 million dollars per year. With perfection being the name of the game, athletes were tortured psychologically, injected with primitive steroids and hormones to reach their peaks. This left many athletes crippled, disillusioned and psychotic post retirement.
As the Collapse wreaked havoc upon the economic, social and political structure of the United States, the change in taste in satiating entertainment did as well. More violence naturally became an obsession to match the turmoil and disillusionment of much of the American Population. By around 2002, the concept of augmented sports was refined to its modern look.
The information age demanded a global and brutal change in the ruleset for already established sports. The corporations begun to take over the sponsorship of games, which first appeared in the only sport with true global appeal in Soccer.
The Arasaka Sakuras, Militech Rangers and the Orbital Air flyers began generating momentum with the public, and by 2006 the first augmented players were added to their rosters.
In 2020 Football is regaining popularity, after being the King of American sports pre-Collapse, mostly due to it being the most violent sanctioned sport of 2020. The only rule here is heavy augmentation and only full-conversion cyborgs and linear-frames are too far and not-sanctioned. Full-body plating is often adorned by spikes and fatalities are a must to reach sky high ratings.
Because there is so much cyberware used, they are often quick-change mounted to combat cyberpsychosis that would be present if it was perpetually on. Whilst from the outside, the game of Football looks like it would be a free for all bloodbath, it is naturally more of a game of finesse and style.
Football is undoubtedly the most violent sanctioned sport, but overall pales in comparison to the unsanctioned gang and nomad sports of 2020.
Gangs sports are disorganized affairs and tend to not have any sense of cohesive teams, or referees. If there do happen to be referees, they’re usually armed with rifles and are only attending to dissuade a greater dispute. There are no time limits on games, and only end when the other team of typically 4-5 players cannot continue. Multiple gangs or nomad families can compete, and the objective is to temporarily incapacitate the team, so outright killing or maiming is forbidden.
The sports collectively played by these gangs are colloquially known as “sticking” and comes from the similarity of each sports equipment which all use different permutations of what is essentially a stick. There are so many different variants of the stick, that the term “sticking” is just the easiest way to refer to all the different versions.
The gangs of Southern California usually resolve disputes with a permutation known as “stickball” which is somewhat akin to hockey with three forwards, two backs of defense and a goalie.
Some vanilla golden age sports do exist such as Golf, which is popular amongst the corporates and executives, as well as Baseball which is still a primarily unaugmented sport. Combat handball is also extremely popular amongst the corporate crowd and is another trial by fire styled activity that the corporates flock to, to prove their worth.
In 2020 athletes are massive investments for the corporate interests who back them, especially pertaining to athletes in the realm of combat and death sports. With players of augmented soccer and Football demanding higher salaries in relation to risk, endorsements become integral into recouping their cash.
Although combat sports are incredibly popular, true death sports are mainly enjoyed in underground entertainment venues, out of the overseeing eye of the public. The only thing close to a nationwide big-money death sport are the North American finals of the World Kumite Tournament that passes through every two years. Despite attempts to keep combat drugs and cyberware to a minimum, killings in the ring happen often.
RTalsorian Home Of Brave – https://talsorianstore.com/collections/cyberpunk/products/home-of-the-brave