Cyberpunk RED

The Corporate Wars

4 min read

⚔️ The Corporate Wars

“When corporations go to war, nations just get out of the way.”

The Corporate Wars were a series of escalating conflicts between megacorporations that proved once and for all that corporate power had surpassed national sovereignty.

📋 Overview

WarYearsCombatantsOutcome
First2000-2004Eurobank Alliance vs TWATWA destroyed
Second2011-2015SovOil vs PetrochemStalemate
Third2016-2019Multiple skirmishesInconclusive
Fourth2020-2023Arasaka vs MilitechBoth devastated

1️⃣ First Corporate War (2000-2004)

Background

The First Corporate War began as a hostile takeover gone wrong. The Eurobank Alliance attempted to acquire Transworld Airlines (TWA) through financial manipulation. When TWA resisted, the conflict escalated into open warfare.

The Conflict

  • Corporate mercenaries fought in the streets of major cities
  • Netrunners battled for control of financial systems
  • Both sides employed Solos, Techs, and Fixers
  • Governments proved unable or unwilling to intervene

Aftermath

TWA was utterly destroyed—its assets seized, executives assassinated, infrastructure demolished. The war proved that megacorporations could conduct open military operations with impunity.

Placeholder: First Corporate War combat (pg. 247)

2️⃣ Second Corporate War (2011-2015)

Background

SovOil (Soviet Oil) and Petrochem fought for control of the world’s dwindling petroleum resources. Both companies possessed vast military forces and nuclear capability.

The Conflict

  • Proxy wars across South America and the Middle East
  • Direct conflicts in the North Sea and Siberia
  • Naval battles for offshore oil platforms
  • Sabotage operations against refineries

The Ocean Wars

A subset of the Second Corporate War, the Ocean Wars saw naval vessels, submarines, and even orbital platforms deployed in battles over underwater resources.

Aftermath

Neither side achieved victory. The war ended in an expensive stalemate, with both corporations severely weakened. The conflict accelerated the development of alternative fuels.

3️⃣ Third Corporate War (2016-2019)

The Third Corporate War was less a single war and more a series of corporate conflicts:

  • Arasaka vs Militech: Shadow conflicts in Asia
  • Biotechnica vs Petrochem: Agricultural vs energy
  • Orbital Air vs ESA: Space transportation rights
  • Multiple smaller conflicts between second-tier corporations

This era established the Cold War-like tensions between Arasaka and Militech that would eventually explode into the Fourth Corporate War.

4️⃣ Fourth Corporate War (2020-2023)

See main article: Fourth Corporate War and Aftermath

The Final War

The Fourth Corporate War was the most devastating conflict in human history since World War II:

  • Combatants: Arasaka vs Militech
  • Scope: Global conflict across six continents
  • Casualties: Millions
  • Outcome: Both corporations severely damaged, global infrastructure destroyed

Key Events

🎯 Tactics of Corporate Warfare

Conventional Forces

  • Corporate security armies
  • Mercenary companies
  • Heavy weapons, AVs, and armored vehicles
  • Orbital strike capability

Covert Operations

  • Solo assassinations of executives
  • Netrunner attacks on financial systems
  • Sabotage of facilities
  • Kidnapping and extraction

Economic Warfare

  • Stock manipulation
  • Supply chain disruption
  • Bribery of government officials
  • Media manipulation

Proxy Conflicts

  • Hiring gangs and mercenaries
  • Backing rival governments
  • Supporting insurgencies
  • Funding terrorist organizations

🏛️ Government Response

Governments during the Corporate Wars proved largely irrelevant:

  • NUSA: Too weak to confront major corporations
  • Free States: Often aligned with corporations
  • Europe: EC attempted mediation, failed
  • Japan: Actively supported Arasaka
  • China: Stayed neutral, grew stronger

Quote

“Governments don’t fight corporations. Corporations fight governments.”

💡 Lessons Learned

The Corporate Wars established several grim realities:

  1. Corporate sovereignty is real - Megacorps answer to no nation
  2. Technology is the battlefield - Netrunners are as important as soldiers
  3. Civilians are acceptable losses - Neither side limits collateral damage
  4. There are no war crimes - International law doesn’t apply
  5. Everyone can be bought - Loyalty is a commodity

🔗 Related Topics

(Source: Cyberpunk RED Core Rulebook, pgs. 245-268)

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