Ok, I admit, it's been awhile since I've looked at Shadowrun as I've been playing around with the Hero System, but I do have a question involving this new edition, are the gritty "EVIL" Megacorps back where the term wageSLAVE means exactly what it says on the tin and the Pink Mohawks can run around happily pulling their stunts OR has the setting continued to drift away from it's cyberpunk roots and corp employees have virtually the same rights and freedoms that exist in today's world?

It is both. Shadowrun has gone from 1984 style-dystopia to A Brave New World. Life still sucks. It's just the most of the oppressed are so distracted with NERPS that they don't care. The place on the spectrum is a function of the GM.

Wait for some Shadowtalk. If Kane's still around, there's some pink mohawk going on.

Shadowtalk, like proofreading, has been removed due to budgetary constraints.

I hate called shots to the fluff.