“Should we rotate?” “Should we reboot?” “Do bans fix this, or do they just move the problem around?”
If you’ve played Android: Netrunner for any amount of time, you’ve heard some version of those questions. And honestly, i get it. The game has always been brilliant, but parts of the card pool aged weird. Some cards were fun but pushed too far. Some were cool ideas that never got the numbers they needed. And a few mistakes became… famous.
That’s the basic pitch behind the Netrunner Reboot Project: keep the classic feel of the FFG era, but use hindsight to rebalance it into something healthier, broader, and less “welp, guess we lost to Astro again.”
What the Netrunner Reboot Project is
The Netrunner Reboot Project is a fan-led “rebalance pass” on the Android: Netrunner card pool. The goal is not to redesign the game from scratch. It’s closer to what modern digital card games do with balance patches: lots of small adjustments across a lot of cards.
The project focuses on the earlier era of the game (the part many people still love to teach, replay, and tinker with). It aims for better side balance (Corp vs Runner), stronger faction identity, and more viable archetypes so you’re not forced into the same handful of “correct” options.
If you’re the kind of player who likes the old cards but wishes the gaps were smaller between “best-in-slot forever” and “binder dust,” Reboot is made for you.
Why the Netrunner Reboot Project exists (rotation, MWL, and the eternal arguments)
Most Netrunner community debates eventually drift toward three pressure points:
- Rotation and card pool size
Rotation can keep things fresh, but it also cuts off beloved old strategies. Some players want a stable pool they can master without chasing a moving target. - Bans, restrictions, and the Most Wanted List problem
A ban list (or restriction list) can help, but it can also feel like whack-a-mole. One card leaves, another card becomes the new “oops.” And sometimes the underlying issue was never one card, but a cluster of slightly-too-efficient staples. - Power creep and “why does this exist?” filler
As the game grew, balance got harder. Some later designs were pushed too far. And plenty of cards looked exciting but played like a trap.
Reboot’s answer is blunt: keep a curated baseline card pool, then adjust the cards themselves so the game doesn’t need constant emergency bans to stay enjoyable.
How the Netrunner Reboot Project rebalances cards (with real examples)
Reboot doesn’t just say “don’t play AstroScript” and call it a day. It changes cards so they still do a recognizable version of their job, but without warping the whole meta around them.
Here are the kinds of changes you’ll see:
Nerfs that keep the fun, lose the autopilot
Some cards are strong and fun, but they were just a little too universal. Reboot tends to shave those down rather than delete them.
A classic example is the old “Astrotrain” problem. Reboot’s approach aims to keep Astro’s identity as a powerful scoring tool while preventing it from doing the most miserable fast-advance sequences. The result is that NBN can still play a never-advance style, but you’re not living in constant fear of a two-token nightmare.
Other notorious staples get similar treatment: still playable, still recognizable, just not the obvious best answer every time.
Buffs that turn “cool idea” into “real option”
Reboot also does a lot of uplifting. Underplayed identities, clunky rig pieces, and over-costed defensive tools often get simple number tweaks.
One place this matters: big, taxing ICE. In old competitive play, barriers were often cheap gear checks, not real late-game taxes. Reboot reduces the “why does this cost so much” problem on larger walls, so slower corp decks can actually threaten a full rig instead of politely dying on turn eight.
And on the Runner side, some identities that always felt one notch short of viable get pushed harder so “unique ability” can compete with “free money every turn.”
A cleaner gap between tier 1 and tier 2
This is the quiet win. When the gap shrinks, you get more viable deckbuilding. More surprise. More “that’s sick, i didn’t expect that line.” And fewer matches decided by who drew the same small set of busted efficiency cards first.
Where Reboot draws the line (and what boosters are)
One key design choice: Reboot’s “core” focus stops at a specific slice of the FFG era, rather than trying to rebalance everything all at once. That’s partly practical (the card pool is huge) and partly philosophical (later design eras introduce different problems).
But Reboot still leaves room for newness. It does that through booster-style releases: small batches that can reintroduce selected later-era cards (in rebooted form) and sometimes add original designs meant to support underpowered strategies.
So you get a stable foundation, plus optional growth that doesn’t blow up the format every three weeks.
How you can play the Netrunner Reboot Project (four practical paths)
One thing Reboot gets right is that it doesn’t assume everyone wants to spend their weekend brewing lists and reading patch notes.
Here are the common ways people jump in:
1) Reboot Constructed
This is the full sandbox. You build decks from the Reboot-legal pool (including boosters), and you play it like classic constructed. Reboot leans on card changes instead of a MWL or ban list, so “legality” is mostly about using the right version of the cards.
2) Preconstructed
This is for people who want competitive-feeling games without the deckbuilding homework. You pick from a list of ready-to-play decks and just play. It’s also a great on-ramp if you’re trying to convince a friend to try Reboot without handing them a spreadsheet and saying “good luck.”
3) Jumpstart
This one is pure chaos in the best way. You generate a semi-random deck that is guaranteed to function, then you discover weird interactions you never would have built on purpose. It’s also a sneaky way to learn the pool fast.
4) LCG-style progression
Start small (Core), then add cycles or boxes in order as your group is ready. This keeps learning manageable and makes each “new release” feel like an event again.
Playing the Netrunner Reboot Project in person (without losing your mind)
A lot of people try Reboot online first. But the format really shines when you can shuffle up and play in person, especially with a local group.
A few practical tips:
- Use opaque sleeves. Card backs vary across sources and print runs. Opaque sleeves keep things fair.
- Keep thickness consistent. If you’re proxying, sleeve with a uniform backing card so the deck shuffles normally.
- Start with a known-good list. Even if you love brewing, it helps to get reps first. Reboot has precons for a reason.
- Print intentionally. Don’t print the entire universe on day one. Start with two decks, then expand.
And yeah, the “what should i print first?” question comes up constantly. This is where the same beginner pool advice applies, even if your end goal is Reboot: Best Way to Build a Beginner Netrunner Card Pool Without Buying Singles
How to get involved (or just lurk responsibly)
The Reboot community is built around playtesting, feedback, and iteration. If you want to contribute, the usual path is simple:
- play games
- note what feels off (too strong, too weak, too swingy)
- share that feedback in the community spaces
If you just want to lurk, that’s fine too. Honestly, most people start that way. You don’t need permission to try the format. You only need curiosity and a willingness to re-learn a few old assumptions.
Final thoughts
The Netrunner Reboot Project is one of the most interesting answers to the “what do we do with the old card pool?” problem. It doesn’t chase novelty for its own sake, and it doesn’t treat bans as the only tool. It tries to make the cards themselves line up with what we now know makes Netrunner fun: pressure, bluffing, meaningful deck choices, and faction balance that doesn’t collapse into one obvious best path.
If you miss the early-era vibes but want fewer design regrets baked into every match, the Netrunner Reboot Project is worth a look.