Cyberpunk 2077, developed by CD Projekt Red, had a rocky start when it was released in December 2020: the problems were so severe that Sony pulled the game from sale on the PlayStation Store. But the game bounced back very significantly and became a critical and commercial success. In fact, after the 2.0 update and the release of the Phantom Liberty expansion, it is one of the best comeback stories in modern video games.
With over 25 million copies sold, it's one of the most successful video games in history. Naturally, CD Projekt Red is moving forward with a sequel that's currently in development at one of the team's new studios.
In this article, we gather everything we know so far about the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, which does not yet have an official title and is in the works under the working title Project Orion.
In addition to the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, CD Projekt is working on The Witch 4, a remake of the original Witcher, a new IP, and more – the studio is very busy.
When will the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel be released?
It’s a big unknown. So far, CD Projekt Red and the Polish studio’s top management have spoken in general terms about Cyberpunk 2077 and avoided going into specifics. The management didn’t even provide a release window, or a target, for the game. This isn’t unusual, however, as the game is likely still in early development. As a reminder, Cyberpunk 2077 was announced in 2012 and won’t be released for another eight years, so fans should feel comfortable waiting for the sequel.
Pre-order the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077
Pre-orders for the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel aren't open yet, and if you see a retailer taking orders this early, you shouldn't give them your money or information.
Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel Trailer Information
The Cyberpunk 2077 sequel doesn't have a trailer or even concept art yet. Rest assured, as soon as we have any information on Cyberpunk 2077 sequel art or video, we'll bring it to you.
Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel Platforms
It's not clear what platforms the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel will play on, but CD Projekt has a history of supporting both PC and consoles. The studio operates its own PC store, GOG, which offers DRM-free games. It's likely that the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel will do so as well, though that's not yet confirmed.
Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel Story, Setting, and Characters
Unfortunately, there is currently almost no information about the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel in terms of its story, setting, and characters. However, fans can reasonably assume that it will be another RPG set in the future. It will also be “US-only,” which follows the announcement that the game is being developed by CD Projekt’s new team in Boston.
“I think Cyberpunk is obviously a quintessentially American story,” interim executive producer Dan Hernberg explained on an episode of the AnsweRED podcast. “There’s a lot of punk energy and [the tabletop game] was written by an American, so it seems perfectly normal to do it in America.
Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel Game Engine
In 2022, CD Projekt shocked some fans by announcing that it would be ditching its own in-house engine, Red Engine, and instead partnering with Epic Games to use the company's Unreal Engine 5 for future projects.
Pawel Zawodny, CTO, said the updates to Unreal Engine 5 contribute to the development of open-world games that the Polish studio is known for, which is a major selling point. “This opens a new chapter for us, where we really want to see how our experience in creating open-world games combines with Epic’s engineering power,” Zawodny said.
Who is developing the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel?
CD Projekt Red is developing the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077. Specifically, the company's new office in Boston, Massachusetts is leading the game's development. Several staff members from the original Cyberpunk 2077 have relocated to Boston to work on the sequel, including Igor Sarzyński, the narrative director for Cyberpunk 2077 and Project Orion.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this project and I’m sure we can make something special out of it. 2077 was just a warm-up,” Sarzyński said on social media earlier this year.
CD Projekt's Vancouver team is also working on the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, and the company's network of other international studios may also contribute to its development. The game's director is Gabe Amatangelo, who was the game director on Cyberpunk 2077's popular Phantom Liberty expansion.
Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel Development News
As of February 2024, the sequel to Cybperunk 2077 was in “early stages of development,” CD Projekt said in a press release. The team working on the game includes a number of senior members of the original game, including Gabriel Amatangelo (game director), Paweł Sasko (associate game director), Igor Sarzyński (creative director), Andrzej Stopa (cinematography director), Kacper Niepokólczycki (environment art director), Sarah Grümmer (acting lead quest designer), and Kacper Kościeński (technical director).
As for those joining the Boston studio to work on the sequel, we find former Blizzard senior product manager Dan Hernberg, who is executive producer on the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel; Ryan Barnard of IO Interactive and Massive Entertainment as design director; and Mortal Kombat technical director Alan Villani, who is engineering director on the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel.
Additionally, writer Anna Megill (Control, Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, Guild Wars 2, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora) is joining the Cyberpunk sequel as lead writer. Megill also worked on narrative elements of Microsoft’s upcoming Fable game. Finally, novelist and comic book writer Alexander Freed is working on writing the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel. Freed was previously a lead writer at BioWare on Star Wars: The Old Republic, and has also written or consulted for DICE, Obsidian, and Wizards of the Coast.
Pawel Sasko, associate director of the upcoming Cyberpunk game, said he wanted to expand on the concept of reactivity that was more of a focus in Phantom Liberty, which he worked on as quest director.
“We want to make sure that the whole DNA is preserved and still present in the game. In Phantom Liberty, there's this moment where the story almost splits, and that's the structure that we used with Witcher 2, actually, and Blood and Wine with Witcher 3 as well – where there was a split down the middle. [that leads to] “completely different branches with completely different endings,” Sasko explained.
Sasko also mentioned that Cyberpunk 2077 needs to validate its players' choices. “If you've made a certain choice in your story and that's the path you've decided to take with your V, your partners, and anyone else you've met in the game, that's your story. It's important when you're making those decisions that you don't invalidate what players have done because that's their story and the decisions they've made,” the developer said.
Check GameSpot regularly for more on the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel as we learn more.