Despite some setbacks that Cyberpunk 2077 has received thus far, CD Projekt Red remains committed to further developing the IP. While the studio initially had big plans for Cyberpunk 2077, it ultimately reconsidered many of them following the troubled launch of the game. However, that doesn't stop the studio from throwing away all the hard work that it has done to build the Cyberpunk universe.
In the company's latest earnings call, CD Projekt's vice president of business development Michal Nowakowski confirmed the studio's commitment to building and expanding the Cyberpunk franchise. "We're totally, fully committed to developing the Cyberpunk IP further," Nowakowski said, while also adding that this goes beyond the recently announced Phantom Liberty expansion for Cyberpunk 2077.
In his statement, Nowakowski acknowledged the time and effort that the team put into developing Cyberpunk 2077, and said that the studio is looking to build upon what has already been built today with new stories, new experiences, and new content. He also added that these don't necessarily have to be in a video game format, corroborating the idea that Cyberpunk 2077 will only feature one major expansion in the foreseeable future.
In actuality, CD Projekt Red has already started executing its plans to expand the Cyberpunk franchise. One way is through the upcoming anime adaptation of Cyberpunk 2077. Developed in collaboration with Studio Trigger for Netflix, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime will tell a standalone story about a street kid trying to survive in Night City. It's a loose adaptation of the game, but CD Projekt Red has stated recently that the story will be considered canon.
The tie-ins between the anime series and the video game can also be seen in the latest DLC and update 1.6 for Cyberpunk 2077, which carries with it a new mission that's played from David Martinez's perspective, the protagonist of the anime. While the first episode of the anime series is set to release on September 13, the DLC for the game is already available, including in the PS4 and Xbox One versions.
Outside of the video territory, CD Projekt Red is also working on a board game adaptation for Cyberpunk 2077, which is scheduled to come out in July 2023 following its successful crowdfunding campaign. There's also the possibility for the studio or its subsidiaries to develop a spin-off game based on the Cyberpunk 2077 universe. If anything, fans of Cyberpunk 2077 should be pretty excited about the future of the franchise.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
