City Center

City Center is the central business district (CBD) of Night City, the biggest commercial hub of the metropolitan area. Many of the city's corporations operate from here. This district is the real showcase of Night City; the once smoldering battlefield of the Fourth Corporate War and nuclear fallout from the AHQ Disaster. Restoration of the district was a lengthy and costly process, but by 2077, it was the most fortified district in all of Night City.
Filled with modern, cutting-edge architecture, City Center is where anyone can witness the unrivaled might of megacorporations. This is where the rich and overworked spend their lives, building up the economic power the metropolis. The most notorious feature is Corporate Plaza, reaching for the sky with its brutal corporate skyscrapers and blinding floodlights. It serves as the heart of the district, as well as a home to some of the biggest corporations in the world, such as Arasaka, Militech, Biotechnica, Petrochem, Kang Tao, among others.
Downtown is full of narrow alleys, night clubs, celebrities, and corporate stiffs. Here you'll find an abundance of office buildings and eccentrically shaped architecture — as well as exclusive apartments, hotels, and restaurants. Its northern waterfront is a mecca for artists and snobs, with galleries, concert halls and ateliers around every corner. Despite the elegance and power of Downtown, it isn't as secure as it would seem: turn down the wrong alley and you'll find yourself en-route to sleazy love hotels, dive bars, and shadowy corners where drug deals — and worse — are a common occurrence..

History

The City Center of Night City has undergone a dramatic transformation over the course of several decades, becoming a symbol of both devastation and rebirth.
In the 2050s, what was once the thriving City and Corporate District descended into chaos during the Fourth Corporate War, as titanic megacorporations Arasaka and Militech turned the area into a warzone. This conflict culminated in the AHQ Disaster of 2023, when a nuclear device detonated in the upper floors of the Arasaka Towers. The resulting explosion obliterated much of the district, killing over half a million people and throwing Night City's government into collapse. In the aftermath, emergency services were overwhelmed and unable to maintain control. Refugees fled in massive numbers to nearby suburbs, overwhelming these areas with makeshift city tent settlements. The central area of the city became known as the Hot Zone, a scorched and irradiated no-go zone filled with ruined buildings and debris.
During the Time of the Red, this area remained abandoned and dangerous, scarred by radiation and social collapse. Yet efforts to reclaim the zone began, driven by volunteers and organizations, notably the nomadic Aldecaldos. Corporations like Night Corp incentivized cleanup by offering free cyberware to those willing to work in the hazardous conditions. Massive land-movers and heavy machinery were brought in to clear debris. By 2052, the radiation levels had been reduced enough for rebuilding to commence. Construction of a new Corporate Center began almost immediately, signaling the return of corporate power and vision. Alongside this urban renewal, Reconciliation Park and Memorial Park were planned to honor the lives lost and mark the city's rebirth. However, as the corporations reclaimed the area, the nomad families who had been vital in the recovery process were ultimately pushed out of the city.
In the 2060s and 2070s, City Center underwent a construction boom. The formerly ruined district was reborn, attracting wealthy investors and residents alike. The rise of new architecture—characterized by entropic and neomilitaristic styles—transformed the skyline with immense megastructures. The area rapidly evolved into Night City's economic and financial core. Following the Unification War, Arasaka was welcomed back to Night City in 2070 and permitted to build a new regional headquarters on the site of its original towers. Within a few years, a new Arasaka Tower rose as the tallest building in the city, cementing the company’s return to dominance.
By 2077, City Center had firmly reestablished itself as the gleaming heart of corporate power in Night City. It was home to imposing office towers, elite residential complexes, luxury hotels, high-end restaurants, and vibrant nightlife venues. By day, business professionals and security forces filled the streets. By night, the district buzzed with activity under the glow of countless neon lights. The adjacent Downtown area, while still part of the greater City Center, fostered a more fast-paced and intense lifestyle. Despite the modern polish and prosperity, the legacy of the nuclear devastation remained visible in the city’s foundations—transformed, but never entirely forgotten.
City Center remains the clearest representation of who holds power in Night City: the corporations. It is both a monument to their dominance and a promise that, no matter the destruction, their influence endures.

Type

District