Summary
A senior CD Projekt Red official went on record to explain how theCyberpunk 2077sequel will emulate the evolution ofThe Witcherseries. This bit of insight into the upcoming RPG arrives 13 months after the studio confirmed that anotherCyberpunk 2077game—code-named Orion—is in the works.
With Phantom Liberty recently releasing to critical acclaim, CDPR is all out of projects that are verging on completion, and is now once again focused on long-term efforts such theCyberpunk 2077sequel and the fourth entry inThe Witcherfranchise. And while the company hence won’t have anything substantial to share about its upcoming games in the foreseeable future, its officials still talk about those titles from time to time. For example, CDPR Management and Audio Engineering Director Colin Walder recently revealed thatThe Witcher 4development is already significantly different from that ofCyberpunk 2077.
At the same time, theCyberpunk 2077sequel will seek to mimic the evolution ofThe Witcherseries. That’s according to CDPR Narrative Director Igor Sarzynski, who said as much in a recentinterview with PC Gamer. Elaborating on that point, the official highlighted howThe Witcher 2: Assassins of Kingsoffered a radically different experience from that of the first installment in the franchise, which, in turn, was once again transformed byThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. CDPR is aiming for “a similar evolution” betweenCyberpunk 2077and its upcoming successor, Sarzynski explained.
And whilethe nextCyberpunkgamewill hence look to deliver a comparably improved experience, it’s still likely to switch things up differently from howThe Witcher 2iterated on its predecessor. “Some of the stuff [inCyberpunk 2077] worked almost right out of the box, such as the art, city design, music, interactive scene system, playstyles,” Sarzynski said, indicating that the upcoming sequel might leave those elements more or less untouched. The leveling system and NPC interactivity could also make a return without significant changes, as the official suggested CDPR is satisfied with their current state, all the while acknowledging both took quite a bit longer “to get right.”
Some of the stuff [in Cyberpunk 2077] worked almost right out of the box, such as the art, city design, music, interactive scene system, playstyles.
As a reminder, those aspects of the game were last revamped in September 2023, when the developer released themassive 2.0 update forCyberpunk 2077. With that transformative patch bringing the game closer in line with CDPR’s original vision, the company is now ready to make another attempt at a dystopian RPG formula, except it won’t be starting from scratch this time around. Instead, the developers are planning to connect all of those existing gameplay elements “even tighter” to deliver “a coherent, total immersion experience” with the second entry in theCyberpunkfranchise, Sarzynski concluded.
Whether CDPR succeeds in doing so won’t be known for a good long while yet; during an October investor presentation, another company official revealed that the project is still in a “conceptual design” stage,suggesting that theCyberpunk 2077sequel remains years away from release.
Cyberpunk 2077
WHERE TO PLAY
Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world action-adventure from the creators of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, CD Projekt Red.Set in Night City, a megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour and body modification, you play as V, a mercenary outlaw going after a one-of-a-kind implant that is the key to immortality.Upgraded with next-gen in mind and featuring free additional content, customize your character and playstyle as you take on jobs, build a reputation, and unlock upgrades.The relationships you forge and the choices you make will shape the story and the world around you. Legends are made here. What will yours be?
