CD Projekt RED PR supervisor Ola Sondej has revealed that the studio has solely been utilizing the title of Cyberpunk 2 to discuss with the subsequent sport within the franchise. In accordance with The Verge, Sondej has mentioned that this doesn’t essentially imply that will probably be a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077.
Sondej’s assertion comes shortly after the corporate confirmed that it has entered the pre-production section for Cyberpunk 2 – identified internally as Challenge Orion. The announcement was made throughout a latest earnings report, the place the studio additionally famous that Cyberpunk 2 wasn’t the finalised title for the sport.
Whereas pre-production on the sport might have began already, we’d nonetheless be between 4 and 5 years away from seeing the precise sport. Throughout the identical investor name, studio co-CEO Michał Nowakowski mentioned that CD Projekt RED’s improvement pipeline often takes video games round 5 years to go from pre-production to closing launch date.
“Our journey from the pre-production to the ultimate launch date takes 4 to 5 years on common,” mentioned Nowakowski when requested about whether or not the studio’s present improvement pipeline for The Witcher 4 can be an indicator for what we will anticipate for a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel. “Having mentioned that, and conserving in thoughts that every venture is exclusive and there are lots of variables that affect the ultimate end result, I cannot lead you into particular years.”
Challenge Orion was introduced has having entered the earliest levels of improvement again in February 2024, with Gabriel Amatangelo – who final labored on Cyberpunk 2077’s growth Phantom Liberty – serving as the sport’s director. Different builders engaged on the sport embody Dan Hernberg as govt producer, Ryan Barnard as design director, and Alan Villani as engineering director. All three are veterans of the sport improvement trade, with Hernberg having served at Blizzard, Barnard at Ubisoft Large and IO Interactive, and Villani at WB Video games.
Whereas particulars about Challenge Orion – or Cyberpunk 2 – would possibly nonetheless be sprase, again in 2022, studio CFO Piotr Nielubowicz spoke about what number of builders the sport would possibly want. In an investor name on the time, Nielubowicz mentioned that the studio can take cues from Cyberpunk 2077’s improvement crew, and that the brand new sport would possibly want between 350 and 500 builders.
“As for the entire headcount required for such a manufacturing, I consider the most effective reference is Cyberpunk 2077, our most up-to-date launch and a very good reference level when occupied with improvement headcount and future tasks of this scale,” he mentioned on the time. “I feel it’s secure to imagine that between 350 and 500 builders needs to be required.”
Growth on Challenge Orion is being dealt with primarily by CD Projekt RED’s North American studio, with help coming in from groups working in Boston, Vancouver, and Poland.
Creator Mike Pondsmith has additionally mentioned that Cyberpunk 2 would happen in a brand new metropolis, which he has described as being much less just like the Blade Runner-inspired Evening Metropolis and extra like a “Chicago gone flawed.” Pondsmith has additionally mentioned that Evening Metropolis will nonetheless be current within the sport in some type.
