Project Orion, a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, is not likely to start pre-production until 2023, according to CD Projekt Red chief executive Adam Kicinski. According to CD Projekt president/joint exec Adam Kicinski, development on the first phase of the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel is set to start the following year. Project Orion is reported to have its pre-production phase likely starting as early as 2023 if all things went well.
Kicinski responded, saying CD Projekt Reds Cyberpunk 2077 is expected to reach pre-production on a sequel in 2023. To be precise, he revealed that pre-production will not begin until the following year, once CD Projekt RED has actually released its one and only planned expansion for the original Cyberpunk 2077, the Phantom Freedom.
Perhaps in an effort to escape from the problems CD Projekt Red encountered making Cyberpunk 2077 the first time around, CD Projekt Red also revealed they were starting up a new games studio in Boston, specifically to make the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel. Not only has the CD Projekt Reds team not begun working on the sequel, but CEO Adam Kicinski also does not even know whether or not they will begin pre-production until sometime next year. The beginning was made very clear by CEO Adam Kicinski, who mentioned the new Boston studio would start work on the next Cyberpunk title shortly after the Phantom Freedom was released.
I, V, do solemnly swear that I shall faithfully serve the New United States of America.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty – coming in 2023.#Cyberpunk2077 #PhantomLiberty pic.twitter.com/UveFE17CBx
— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) September 6, 2022
That is, an R&D phase and conceptualization phase will start next year with smaller teams compared to those working on Phantom Liberty since some developers will be joining work on the next major The Witcher title (codified as Polaris). Project Polaris (the next Witcher game) is officially in pre-production according to CD Projekt.
In the immediate future, CD Projekt Red the company’s primary studio, comprising three development hubs in Poland remains focused on finishing up a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X version of The Witcher 3, which is set for release this year, as well as an expansion, The Phantom Freedom, for Cyberpunk 2077, which is set for release this 2023. Meanwhile, the upcoming Cyberpunk Universe title Orion is being made at the newly formed CD Projekt Red studio in Boston, along with CD Projekt Red Vancouver (formerly Digital Scapes, another recent acquisition).
Given that Cyberpunk 2077s Phantom Freedom expansion is scheduled to launch somewhere in the first half of 2023, and that it is likely it will be receiving updates and patches for a couple of months following its release, it is generous to assume a lot of the work on Orion will be done by years end. This information suggests Project Orion is probably years away; if anything, the silver lining is there is plenty of substance for Cyberpunk 2077 to look forward to in the near future. Fans of cyberpunk may look forward to Keanu Reeves returning as Johnny Silverhand in Phantom Liberty DLC, set for a release sometime in 2023.