A History of the Time of the Red

1. The Catalyst: The Fourth Corporate War (2021–2025)

The era was born from the most destructive conflict in human history. What began as a localized dispute between ocean-based rivals CINO and OTEC escalated into a “Hot War” between their hired paramilitaries: Arasaka and Militech. This global conflict decimated international trade, leveled cities like Hong Kong, and dismantled the global supply chain.

2. The Night City Holocaust (August 20, 2023)

The definitive end of the “Golden Era” occurred during the raid on Arasaka’s American Headquarters in Night City. A Militech-backed strike team—which included legendary figures like Morgan Blackhand and Johnny Silverhand—infiltrated the tower. During the assault, a “briefcase-sized” tactical nuclear device was detonated. The resulting air blast obliterated the Corporate Center and killed roughly half a million people instantly.

3. The Digital Fall: The DataKrash

Simultaneous with the war’s peak, the legendary Netrunner Rache Bartmoss released a “dead man’s switch” virus known as the DataKrash. This virus corrupted 78% of the global NET and unleashed R.A.B.I.D.S. (Roving Autonomous Bartmoss Interface Drones)—murderous AIs that hunted anyone jacked in. By 2023, the global NET was a lethal “digital hellscape,” forcing NetWatch to physically shut down the infrastructure, effectively killing the old internet.

4. Why the Sky is Red (2023–2025)

The era gains its name from the literal “blood red” atmosphere that persisted for years following the 2023 bombing. Radioactive particulate from the Night City blast, combined with debris from orbital “rock” strikes and conventional firestorms, choked the skies. For two years, the world lived under a crimson pall, experiencing periodic “blood rains”—greasy storms of irradiated soot.

5. The Era of Scarcity (2025–2030)

In the immediate aftermath, the world entered “survival mode.”

  • Nationalization: U.S. President Elizabeth Kress nationalized Militech and expelled Arasaka from North America, blaming them for the nuclear disaster.
  • The Diaspora: Displaced populations fled ruined urban centers. Nomads became the masters of the world, utilizing their armored convoys to keep the remaining threads of civilization connected via the “High Roads.”
  • The Fixer Economy: With stores destroyed and shipping lines broken, Fixers became the primary economic engine, organizing “Night Markets” to distribute salvaged goods and pre-war tech.

6. The Reconstruction (2030–2044)

By 2030, the red haze began to settle, leaving behind brilliant red sunrises and sunsets.

  • Communication: In 2030, a Neocorp called Ziggurat established the CitiNet and Data Pools, creating localized, air-gapped networks to replace the dead global NET.
  • Urban Growth: Night City began to rise from its ashes. Survivors used bulldozers and abandoned tanks to shove the radioactive rubble of the old Corporate Center into the bay, creating “new land” for reconstruction. Massive “mega-buildings” were constructed to house the millions of refugees.
  • Neocorps: The old Megacorporations, now diminished and more localized, began to claw back power, though they now had to negotiate with local governments and powerful Nomad families.

7. The Present Day (2045)

In 2045, Night City is a “cybernetic Casablanca”—a dangerous, independent city-state where power is decentralized. It is a world where “everything is local,” and the individual Edgerunner can finally make a difference in the shadow of a city that is still, stubbornly, refusing to die.