Can You Romance River Ward as Male V in Cyberpunk 2077?

As an avid Cyberpunk 2077 player and content creator, one question I see fans ask often is – can you have a romantic relationship with River Ward while playing as the male version of V?

The straight answer is: no, unfortunately male V cannot romance River in the game.

River Ward is written as a heterosexual male character and thus he is exclusively a romance option for female V. But why is River such a popular choice for players and what is his overall role as an NPC in Cyberpunk 2077? Let‘s dive deeper!

Overview – Who is River Ward?

River is a former member of the NCPD who has taken it upon himself to protect the community around him in his own way following personal tragedy

For context, River Ward is first introduced during the side job "I Fought The Law". He comes across as a caring and righteous man with a strong desire to protect people, even though he has become disillusioned by the rampant corruption in Night City‘s institutions.

As a player, you quickly find out that River left the NCPD to become a solo vigilante investigator after his nephew was killed under suspicious circumstances that were covered up internally.

Throughout interactions with River, like during his person quest regarding kidnapped children, you feel River‘s kindness along with his world-weariness and trauma. This is reinforced through great dialogue writing that brings depth to his character.

Personality Highlights: Selfless, nurturing, principled, tragic backstory

Physical Description: Tall, muscular build with long hair, tribal tattoo sleeve on right arm and left part of chest

While River may seem like an unlikely vigilante in Night City‘s harsh environment, he stands out through his empathetic personality paired with street-smart grit needed to survive.

Romance Requirements – Female V Only

As River Ward is a straight male written with heterosexual preferences, only players using a female V character with a feminine body type have the chance to romance him.

This is locked from the start for male V characters who do not get flirtatious dialogue options. Female V must initiate a flirty tone in conversations for the romance to progress.

"Any kind of physical romance with River Ward as male V is impossible no matter the choices made in the avaliable interactions and dialogue with him."

This has been confirmed definitively by data miners digging through the game code along with players experimenting through multiple playthroughs.

While some NPCs like Panam Palmer are romanceable regardless of V‘s gender, River‘s heterosexuality makes him exclusively available for female V‘s wishing to pursue a relationship.

Why is River Ward an Appealing Romance Option?

Looking at various surveys and polls aggregated by bodies like Polygon, River Ward and Judy Álvarez tend to rank at the top as the most liked and wanted romance options in Cyberpunk 2077 amongst players.

In my opinion as both a fan and critic of this genre, what makes River stand out is:

1. Depth of Character and Backstory

As detailed above, River comes across as a real multidimensional person not just an attractive male NPC to pander romance. His complex motivations and emotional backstory give him substance.

2. Satisfying Story Arc + Side Content

The side jobs focusing on River, like investigating the disappearances of local children, provide some of the most emotionally compelling content outside of the main story arcs with Panam Palmer and Johnny Silverhand.

Romancing River and growing closer to him feels impactful because of his prominent role in the game beyond just being V‘s partner.

3. Memorable Personality – Caring, Righteous Outlaw

Unlike flashier romance options such as Judy who is enmeshed in the underground BD scene, River feels down to Earth. His mannerisms and speech makes his personality stand out as gentle despite his imposing physique and background as a cop.

He comes across as someone who cares deeply about protecting people close to him out of human decency rather than corpo contracts. This goodness makes him feel special in Night City‘s cynical environment.

4. Distinctive Physical Design and Aesthetic

With his tall muscular build, long dark hair tied back in a pony tail, tribal sleeve tattoo and hipster-esque clothing style – River has an appealing look that combines badass mercenary vibes with a chill withdrawn personality.

What About Future Romance DLC for River & Male V?

As modders have already proven, there‘s clearly an appetite for allowing male V the chance to romance well-written male NPCs like River Ward properly through new story content.

And CD Projekt Red‘s developers have acknowledged requests from fans for more varied romance options to be added.

My speculation is that while the existing game does not permit it, potentially through upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 DLC focusing on expanding core features we could get the ability for male V to romance River Ward.

Similar to Mass Effect games evolving over time from needing binary male/female choices to allowing more fluid gender romance choices, Cyberpunk 2077 can hopefully evolve for more progressive relationship options!

So in summary, currently in the base game male V cannot romance River Ward owing to how he was written as a heterosexual personality meant for female V‘s. Yet there is clearly scope for DLC and updates to make relationships more flexible.

For players wanting to date River currently, you will need to be using a female V character. And the emotional depth plus narrative relevance of his character and personal missions make building a relationship with River Ward a uniquely worthwhile part of Cyberpunk 2077!