You assume there is no other outcome as combat possible because the report says they opted for combat and because the demo shows combat?
1) The wording from the two reports I looked up that mention a different Maelstrom approach sound like it was merely optional, and that perhaps they opted to show combat mechanics in the demo instead of just peacefully walking out. Basically just because they chose combat due to an insult on the Jacket - maybe for PR purposes to show some combat - doesn't automatically mean you have to fight them for an insult. Jacky offers it, probably, you can just shrug it off or say no and walk out, as they let you walk out
2) The combat under different circumstances refers to the chip.
Source 2:
https://www.vgr.com/cyberpunk-2077-demo-bullet-katana/
Now let's be pessimistic and assume going that route, where your V's jacket gets a comment (what if you don't wear this jacket and another different clothing piece?) and Jacky refers to the chip and you are forced into combat?
So what if you just go to the factory directly and never meet Meredith, meaning you cannot get the faulty chip in the first place, meaning Jacky can't even refer to it? Maybe the scene itself plays out totally different because you don't appear to Maelstrom with a faulty chip you warn them about. Maybe you just buy (or secretly steal) the damn thing and get out with no combat. I don't know, but I assume this to be the case.
What I want to highlight with these two examples is there is plenty of room to assume you can get through this encounter without combat based on your choices. I doubt they let you warn them and all and yet force you into combat because of a comment on the jacket where you can only decide to fight them then and there.
It just doesn't make sense having CDPR often underline that choices and consequences matter only to not give you an option in such major events that relate to main plot progression. Perhaps I am not as pessimistic as others but I think even if I were, so far with the information at hand it can safely be assumed combat encounters can be avoided altogether and that you won't be forced into combat all the time.
The example I point to already points to a diplomatic or social approach. Of course one could also just sneak and avoid combat - for example in the Pacifica animals demo snippet. I saw the live gameplay demo at Gamescom myself and we were asked if we wanted to see more stealth gameplay (that isn't necessarily social, but also not fully 'shoot 'em up' oriented) or go solo. More people voted Solo but they did stealth a bit longer before guns blazing approach was picked as V was spotted by an enemy. The particular Pacifica demo could've been done via stealth, too.
Given the nature of some scenarios like the gang thing, social approaches do not always work well because you are in hostile gang territory for another gang, but I just wanted to highlight that stealth approach is another option to social approaches, if people do not favor hard combat all the time.
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I hope the information here helps people wondering about combat and alternative approaches to certain situations.
If one wants to remain pessimistic or critical, I can only suggest to wait more public gameplay footage or wait for videos on the game around and past release where people will post "Let's Plays" and whatnot.