This game is supposed to be DRM free; why is GoG galaxy booting whenever I try to load the game?

From my understanding just go the location in your windows 10 and launch via it.

If you install it through Galaxy, then Galaxy will load any time you play it. If Cyberway's advice is correct then I guess launching the EXE file directly (in the game's files, in Program Files or whenever the installed files are) will bypass opening Galaxy. (I'm not sure myself, sorry)

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I'm a little late to this and you may have already found a way to fix this, but this is what I did.
The desktop shortcut is set to launch from gog galaxy and not directly from the launcher.

Go to the Cyberpunk 2077 game folder, right click on the launcher and click properties. Keep that window open.

Now right click on the desktop shortcut and click on properties.

Copy the target path and start in path from the launcher properties window to the shortcut properties windows. Be sure to copy it over exactly as it is written, including the "".
Click apply and OK.

I just tested this myself today and it worked. I was able to run the game from the shortcut without gog galaxy launching.

There is a shortcut in the game directory that you can use or/and copy to your desktop.
See attached image.

Don't use shortcut created by GOG during installation.
Go to games directory, then "bin\x64" and launch from Cyberpunk2077.exe (create desktop shortcut for convenience).
This way you can even easily add it to Steam (as non-steam game) so you can access steam overlay, etc (no quick access to guides, discussions etc. though).

can it be played offline too? like blocking it in your firewall?

Yes it can be played offline.

this is the best answer here.

Simple do the following.

1 go to your Cyberpunk 2077 installation folder

F:\Games\Cyberpunk 2077\ <<< (for me)

2. look for the launch cyberpunk 2077 icon in there

3. right click send to desktop

4. double click the new icon for Cyberpunk on your desktop

make sure the path leads to the game exe to start the game without galaxy and without
internet
the path is

F:\Games\Cyberpunk 2077\bin\x64\Cyberpunk2077.exe <<< (for me again)

alternatively to that you can go to this path, rightclick on the executable (Cyberpunk2077.exe)
then send to desktop

Enjoy CP77 without internet and without galaxy
o7

i workes!!!