The creator of the Cyberpunk IP has revealed that CD Projekt’s upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 sequel features a new city that feels like “Chicago gone wrong”.
Speaking at Digital Dragons 2025, R. Talsorian Games founderMike Pondsmithwas asked about Project Orion, theCyberpunk 2077sequel that’s being headed byCD Projekt Red’s new North American arm, which has studios in Boston and Vancouver.
Pondsmith revealed that he’s not as involved with the second game as he was with 2077, but said he’s keeping track of its progress. The game designer went on to claim that the sequel will feature Night City, as well as a second, unspecified location.
“I’m not as involved directly, but I see the scripts,” Pondsmithsaid. “Last week I was wandering around talking to different departments and seeing what they had like, ‘this is the new Cyberware, what do you think?’
“I spent a lot of time talking to one of the environment guys, and he was explaining how the new place… because there’s another city that we visit, and I’m not telling you anymore than that, but there’s another city that we visit. Night City is still there.”
He continued: “I remember looking at it and going, ‘I understand the feel that you’re going for, and this really does work, it doesn’t feel like Blade Runner, it feels more like Chicago gone wrong’. And I said, ‘yeah, I can see this working’.”
The Cyberpunk 2077 sequel is being helmed by core team members behind the original game and its Phantom Liberty expansion, whomoved to North America to lead developmenton the follow-up.
CD Projekt Red has alsoannounced the appointment of a number of veteran developersto work on the sequel, including Dan Hernberg, who had previously served as head of production at bothAmazon GamesandPanicButton, and lead product manager atBlizzard.
Little is known about the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel. However, according to job listings, the game isaiming to deliver ‘the most realistic crowds ever seen in a video game’.
CD Projekt Red has also said that the fact that its new Boston studio is working on the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 means it’slikely to be more authentically Americanthan the original was.
