CD Projekt Starts Cyberpunk 2 Pre-Production

Cyberpunk 2: What We Know So Far

CD Projekt Red has officially kicked off pre-production for Cyberpunk 2, as revealed in their recent financial update. The announcement came alongside news that Phantom Liberty - Cyberpunk 2077's expansion - has surpassed 10 million copies sold.

The developer confirmed 96 of its 730-person team are currently working on the sequel, codenamed Orion, while The Witcher 4 dominates staffing with 422 developers. Both projects still appear years away from release despite this early progress.

A Glimpse Behind the Scenes

While details remain scarce, Cyberpunk creator Mike Pondsmith recently shared intriguing insights during Digital Dragons 2025. Though less involved than with the original, Pondsmith reviewed scripts and visited CD Projekt's studios, where developers showed him early concepts.

"They were showing me the new cyberware designs," Pondsmith recalled, "asking 'What do you think of this?' I'd give feedback like 'That works well here' or 'This needs tweaking.'"

Expanding the Cyberpunk Universe

The most exciting revelation? Cyberpunk 2 will feature an entirely new city alongside Night City. Pondsmith compared this mysterious location to "Chicago gone wrong," though clarified this describes the aesthetic rather than confirming an actual futuristic Chicago setting.

This suggests players might explore two fully-realized urban landscapes, though whether both will be equally developed remains unclear. The environment team appears focused on creating a distinct feel from Night City's Blade Runner-inspired aesthetic.

CD Projekt's Packed Pipeline

The studio has multiple major projects underway:

• Cyberpunk sequel (early development)
• The Witcher 4 (majority of team working on this)
• New Cyberpunk anime (following Edgerunners' success)
• Cyberpunk 2077 Nintendo Switch 2 port (coming soon)

With Phantom Liberty's strong sales proving renewed interest in the Cyberpunk universe, anticipation for Orion continues building - even if we'll likely wait years for concrete details.