Cyberpunk

As time progressed in our world, corporations continued to expand, grow richer, and buy one another out. Eventually several reached "megacorp" status. However, as their wealth and influence grew, so too did their need for personal security and ability to protect themselves from social and government upheaval. With this physical and monetary power, they invariably came into not only commercial and political but physical conflict. They used this power and expertise to wage a series of wars on one another.

First Corporate War

The first large-scale open corporate war was over competing offworld trading companies - cargo and passenger flights to off-world colonies such as the Crystal Palace geosynchronous space station or Tycho city on Luna (the Moon), not to mention future potential in the various lunar bases popping up across Mars' moons. Two companies attempted to buy out another failing transport company, but each attempted to block one another, resulting in a failed kidnapping and then war.

From 2004 to 2006, Euro Business Machines (EBM) and Orbital Air fought over control of this company and the future of the transworld transport and supply industry. In the end, Orbital Air won, and has since monopolized this service. They have "Orbital Air Space Centers" - which act as transport hubs to various colonies for business or pleasure - in most major cities, including Night City.

Second Corporate War

Petrochem and SovOil, both huge oil and fuel companies - including the new fuel that began to replace all gasoline and diesel, CHOOH2 (choo-too) - came into intense, open verbal conflict. Then a Petrochem oil platform in the South China Sea exploded. Blaming it on SovOil, they destroyed a SO oil platform in the South China Sea as well. War began, expanding to other locations, until much of each belligerents' infrastructure and facilities were destroyed, polluting massive tracts of water and land, particularly the South China Sea. It, and much of the Pacific Rim, became a chemical wasteland while oil became scarce. CHOOH2, however, was produced from an engineered wheat, and becomes the primary source of fuel across the world.

The war lasted from 2008 to 2010, ending with SovOil as the pyrrhic victor.

Third Corporate War

The third war between megacorps was between Merrill, Asukaga, & Finch (MA&F), an investment firm, and the private investment group the Rothstein Fund. It was the first war to see significant netrunner conflict, data, secrets, and deaths being exchanged on the Net. NetWatch also joined, trying to limit the collateral damage. This caused the companies to take the fight into the physical world, still targeting Net physical assets.

Fought from 2016 to 2017, it resulted in Rothstein dissolving.

Fourth Corporate War

This war began between Corporation Internationale Nauticale et Oceanique (CINO) and Ocean Technology & Energy Corporation (OTEC) over the bankrupt Internationale Handelsmarine Aktiengesellschaft (IHAG). It was a conflict over the future of the sea transport industry and nautical technology.

Coming to a stalemate, each side hired mercenary companies, a fast-growing industry in the uncertain future. OTEC hired Militech, and CINO Araska.

Arasaka and Militech both being producers of advanced military technology and fielding significant mercenary forces, the war quickly escalated, involving other companies as well as governments, resulting in significant damage to various cities (Rio De Janeiro being destroyed) as well as the Net, with both parties releasing destructive viruses.

The 2021 to 2023 war ended with the United States nationalizing Militech and a mini-nuke detonating in the City Center of Night City, destroying Arasaka's US headquarters and killing hundreds of thousands of others downtown. Japan, being home to Arasaka's primary HQ, worried the conflict would come there next and encouraged surrender, despite much of its Diet (congress/parliament) being controlled by Arasaka.

Following this, an investigation into the bombing concluded that Arasaka set it off themselves to prevent the winning Militech from acquiring their HQ and data there. Arasaka claimed it was a Militech operation. In response, the US government banned Arasaka and its trade from the United States, severely weakening their influence and income.

This was the last massive war between corporations. With the harm to so many major cities, infrastructure, and manufacturing, the world entered a new era. The political power of megacorps waned as governments reasserted dominance while markets and the environment flagged. It would take these megacorps decades to recover financially.

The United States

Much of the US's resources were spent on the War on Drugs and Communism in South and Central America during this time. The Gang of Four - the FBI, CIA, NSA, and DEA - grew in power and influence, eventually taking control of the US government entirely in a coup. However, as the USSR began to open up (glasnost), the US continued its economic and political blockade, the growing European Economic Community (EEC) departed from this tactic and began to aid the Soviet Union, putting the US and EEC (EU) at odds.

Combined with the world's natural resources dwindling and oil and oil products taking severe hits from the Second Corporate War in addition to nuclear war in the Middle East, the US and the world economies were struggling. In response, the US began to secretly manipulate the world market and its own currency compared against the growing new Eurodollar. The EEC discovered and revealed this, causing a collapse of the US economy in 1994, followed by collapse of the world economy.

Dustbowls and drought wracking the country and world, the economy in shambles, expensive foreign wars in the Americas, and a leadership crisis when both the president and vice president were assassinated in 1996, the country entered martial law as it collapsed. Add to this a counter-coup to oust the Gang of Four, and the addition of the Corporate Wars, the release of bioengineered plagues, and war that included flinging meteorites against cities, the US experienced a second civil war where six states fought for independence from the United States while large groups joined roving clans of "Nomads."

The civil war ultimately resulted in a compromise, the New United States (NUSA) remaining whole but the six rebellious states (Texas, Alaska, North California, South California, Utah, and Nevada) obtaining autonomy. This lasted for decades until 2069, where NUSA attempted to force these states to fully rejoin the federal government. War began again and continued until NUSA targeted Night City, the most populous city in the US. Afraid, the city council contacted Arasaka and begged for protection. They obliged. Concerned over a large escalation in the conflict, NUSA came to the table and the Free States agreed to rejoin the federal system, but with semi-autonomous status.

Night City

Night City was founded as Coronado City (crowned) by Richard Night, a wealthy developer. He bought the small, decrepit town of Morro Bay in order to build a corporate utopia city. He succeeded. A perfectly planned city with no crime or poverty... until Night was assassinated by unknown assailants. What followed was chaos: gangs, corporations, and the Mob vying for power. While the city was renamed in Night's honor, the Mob ultimately won. But with swiftly growing crime and profits decreasing, the city council and corporations allied to violently wipe out the Mob for good. It took time, but they succeeded. Unfortunately, the Fourth Corporate War also saw the detonation of a mini-nuke in Corpo Plaza, destroying a significant and important part of the city. What followed was also the new global dark ages of the '20s-'40s, when environmental, government, Net, and corporate degradation caught up with the world. Night City, and the world, was in rough shape.

Over time, the city rebuilt itself. Meanwhile, Arasaka was invited back to protect the city from NUSA, turning it into an international "free city," an autonomous area within the Free State of Northern California. It stands as the largest city in the US as well as one of the richest, power shared among the City Council (under the Mayor), the various megacorps with regional headquarters there, and the dozens of gangs.

Corporations

In Cyberpunk 2077, megacorporations and government still compete for power. Many of these have offices in Night City. EBM is the richest, Araska the most powerful, and Militech the strongest. Each sports hundreds of thousands (if not a million+) employees, hundreds of billions in assets, private armies, and connections across the world.

Although open corporate wars have ended, secret wars still exist, utilizing netrunners and assassins. Arasaka was invited back to Night City to protect it, and it never let go. Its second CEO, Saburo Arasaka (158 years old), has bought out most of Night City's council, although still must share power with others within the city... for now.