Netrunner: Proteus

About this expansion

Netrunner: Proteus is a two-player expansion for Netrunner, with games lasting about 45 minutes. Released in 1996, it was the first expansion for the game and was also referred to as v2.1.

Proteus introduces mechanics that diversify play for both Runners and the Corp. Runners and some Black Ops can now give the Corp Bad Publicity counters. These counters cannot be removed once gained, and the Corp loses the game after accumulating seven of them.

Runners also receive a new Resource type: Hidden Resources. These cards enter play face down, keeping them hidden from the Corp until their ability is used. In typical cases, using the ability involves trashing the Resource.

• Bad Publicity: A permanent counter that can ultimately cause the Corp to lose.
• Hidden Resources: Face-down Runner Resources concealed until their abilities are used.
• Upgraded ICE: Many Corp ICE cards can become more powerful as the game develops.
• World Domination: A new way for the Corp to win with a single Agenda.

The expansion also adds ICE capable of transmuting into completely different countermeasures, along with smart icebreakers that can rewrite their own code. These features reflect Proteus’s focus on changing technology and evolving defenses.

Proteus cards were sold in 15-card boosters and had a limited print volume, making them sought after by many collectors. The expansion’s setting follows Runner Max Forward as he investigates an apparently abandoned data fort and encounters a revolutionary security experiment.