Night City Holocaust (2023)

The Night City Holocaust, also known as the AHQ Disaster, was the cataclysmic event that ended the 4th Corporate War and defined the transition into the “Time of the Red.”

Key Details

• Date: August 20, 2023.
• Location: Arasaka Towers, City Center, Night City.
• The Incident: During a Militech-backed raid to destroy the Arasaka Secure Database, a tactical nuclear device was detonated in the upper floors of the Arasaka Towers.

Impact and Casualties

• Immediate Deaths: Approximately 500,000 people were killed in the initial blast.
• Aftermath Deaths: An additional 250,000 died from the resulting firestorms and radiation sickness.
• Physical Destruction: Most of the central Corporate Center was leveled. Because Night City was built on unstable fill, the explosion caused the ground to liquefy, leading to massive flooding from broken water mains.

Historical & Political Consequences

• The “Time of the Red”: The particulate matter thrown into the atmosphere by the blast (and other orbital strikes during the war) turned the sky a lurid red for years, giving the era its name.
• The Big Lie: President Elizabeth Kress of the New United States (NUSA) blamed Arasaka for the detonation to justify nationalizing Militech and banishing Arasaka from North America.
• The Reconstruction: The NUSA effectively abandoned Night City, leaving the rebuilding efforts to the citizens and Nomad groups (specifically the Aldecaldos).

The Truth vs. Legend

• Johnny Silverhand’s Version: Popular legend (and Johnny’s own digitized memories) suggests he personally detonated the bomb to “kill” a city.
• Historical Record: Internal lore suggests the device was a Militech “area denial” weapon carried by Morgan Blackhand’s strike team, intended to prevent Arasaka from securing their database.