Xbox Boss Says Keanu Reeves Was "Blown Away" by E3 Fans' Reactions

Keanu Reeves took the stage during Microsoft's conference at E3 and was met with a barrage of cheers and applause, an outcome that seemed like an inevitable one given the circumstances. Reeves is popping up in all kinds of movies, series, and games lately, and seeing him in Cyberpunk 2077 was just the latest reveal. According to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, Reeves may not have fully anticipated what the reactions would be though since Reeves was said to be "blown away" by the way fans reacted to him.

Variety spoke with Spencer and learned that the actor's big appearance during the event was a well-kept secret that involved a stand-in during rehearsals and codenames in place of the actor's real name. Spencer explained to Reeves before his appearance that the show wouldn't be "another corporate gig" and that people were going to go crazy over him being in the game and being on-stage. Reeves as backstage checking out the early build of Cyberpunk 2077 with CD Projekt Red until it was his time to go out and meet the fans and their reactions.

"I think he was kind of blown away by the response," Spencer told Variety. "And I loved how we just wallowed in it. and then when he came back off he was just like, 'wow.'"

This wasn't the first time that a celebrity had come on the stage to attach their name to an upcoming game, but it was certainly one of the more successful ones. Spencer said that the idea to include Reeves in the show was CD Projekt Red's, and he wasn't sure how it would go at first.

"I didn't know how it was going to go," Spencer said. "It was actually CD Projekt Red's that wanted us to go do this and we have a great relationship with those guys. But you know, I've seen my fair share of celebrity endorsements on stage at E3 not actually land that well. Obviously, when we saw how he was portrayed in the game, it was like, OK, it's very authentic."

The event did go well for all parties involved, including one individual who made their thoughts known in the crowd. Someone shouted out that they though Reeves was "breathtaking," and in doing so, they earned themselves a memorable exchange and a free Collector's Edition of the game.

Cyberpunk 2077 is scheduled to release for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC platforms on April 16, 2020.