Highlights

  • CD Projekt Red aims to improve upon Cyberpunk 2077's social commentary in Project Orion.
  • Developers discuss the themes of human exploitation and dystopia in the sequel.
  • The team prioritizes managing expectations and learning from past mistakes for Project Orion's success.

Developers at CD Projekt Red are voicing their thoughts regarding their goals for the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, Project Orion. Cyberpunk 2077 has faced its share of controversies throughout the course of its production up to its release in 2020. After facing an overwhelmingly negative reception from gamers and critics during the launch of Cyberpunk 2077, it seems like CD Projekt Red is attempting to navigate Project Orion's development without running into the same issues.

Fans will attest to the way that Cyberpunk 2077 has changed over time. Once the game's reputation was put in jeopardy, the Cyberpunk Edgerunners anime revitalized fan interest in the series. Afterward, Cyberpunk 2077 received its 2.0 update and Phantom Liberty DLC, garnering a wave of positivity that assured CD Projekt Red that it was back on the right track. Now, players are anticipating the next release, hoping to spend an equally memorable amount of time in or beyond Night City.

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As a part of CD Projekt Red’s AnsweRED podcast, developers are sharing their hopes for Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel, currently codenamed Project Orion. The developers note the consistent social commentary that takes place throughout the game, and they emphasize wanting to continue to include this element while improving upon its execution. Part of this included the developers asking themselves what "cyberpunk" means to them, and using that to inform the way they work on the game. Dan Hernberg, Project Orion's executive producer, talks about the themes of human exploitation and dystopia within Cyberpunk 2077, wanting to find ways to expand on that.

CD Projekt Red Developers Talk Hopes for Project Orion

Dan Hernberg follows up this idea by expressing excitement about the way that working on a video game provides a relatively safe environment to call out societal injustices. He expresses wanting to ask questions about problems in poignant ways without necessarily giving a definite answer to players so that it can allow them to think more about these things. Cyberpunk 2077 developer Paweł Sasko, now the Associate Game Director for Project Orion, talks about the challenge of the development process.

Sasko states that the hardships faced with the earlier stages of Cyberpunk 2077's release have helped him find his place with the team, allowing him to ground his hopes in realism and fully commit to helping the team as best as possible. It sounds like, despite a rough first release, CD Projekt Red is prioritizing managing its own expectations of what Project Orion will be, allowing its developers to grow and focus on proper execution.