Cyberpunk 2 Begins Development at CD Projekt

Cyberpunk 2077's sequel, currently referred to as Cyberpunk 2, has officially entered pre-production, as confirmed by developer CD Projekt.

The studio announced this milestone in its latest financial results, revealing that the Phantom Liberty expansion for Cyberpunk 2077 has achieved an impressive 10 million copies sold.

CD Projekt also noted that 96 of its 730 developers are now assigned to Cyberpunk 2, while the majority of the team (422 developers) is focused on The Witcher 4.

Based on these figures, Cyberpunk 2 appears to be in the early stages of development, and The Witcher 4 also seems some distance from release. However, we now know the official project name, previously known by its codename, Orion.

While details about Cyberpunk 2 remain scarce, earlier this month Cyberpunk creator Mike Pondsmith shared some previously unknown information. Pondsmith, who collaborated closely with CD Projekt on the 30 million-selling Cyberpunk 2077 and was involved in its pre-launch promotion, was asked about his involvement with Orion at the Digital Dragons 2025 conference.

In his response, Pondsmith acknowledged a reduced level of involvement this time around but mentioned that he reviews scripts and recently visited CD Projekt to see the progress firsthand.

“Last week I was walking around, speaking with various departments and seeing what they’ve been working on, like new cyberware designs. I'd offer feedback, saying things like, 'Yes, that's pretty good, it fits well here.'"

He also dropped a hint about the sequel: it will include a brand new city alongside the familiar Night City from Cyberpunk 2077. Pondsmith described this new location as “like Chicago gone wrong.”

“I spent considerable time with one of the environment artists, who explained the new setting in Orion. We’re visiting another city in addition to Night City—I won't say more than that. Looking at the designs, I could grasp the atmosphere they're aiming for, and it really works. It doesn’t feel like Blade Runner; it feels more like a dystopian version of Chicago. I told them, ‘Yeah, I can see this working.'”

It’s important to note that Pondsmith’s comments don't necessarily confirm the sequel is set in a futuristic Chicago. Rather, the new city carries the atmosphere of a dystopian version of Chicago. It could be an interpretation of a future Chicago, but this hasn't been officially confirmed.

Every CD Projekt Red Game In Development

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There is already some discussion about whether Cyberpunk 2 will expand the existing Night City or introduce a new version, and how much of it will be accessible. While many details remain unknown, it appears the sequel could feature at least two fully developed, playable cities.

This is an incredibly busy period for CD Projekt. A new Cyberpunk animated project is in development for Netflix, following the success of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. More immediately, Cyberpunk 2077 is scheduled to launch on the Nintendo Switch 2 next month.