CD Projekt Confirms Cyberpunk 2 Pre-Production Begins

Cyberpunk 2077's highly anticipated sequel, Cyberpunk 2, has officially moved into the pre-production phase, according to CD Projekt Red. The announcement came as part of the studio’s recent financial report, where it also revealed that the Phantom Liberty expansion for Cyberpunk 2077 has surpassed 10 million units sold—an impressive milestone underscoring the game’s continued resurgence.

Currently, 96 out of CD Projekt’s 730 developers are assigned to Cyberpunk 2. Meanwhile, the bulk of the team—422 members—is focused on The Witcher 4. With such limited resources allocated, it’s clear that Cyberpunk 2 is still a long way from release, much like its fantasy counterpart.

This is also the first time CD Projekt has publicly referred to the project by its official title, Cyberpunk 2, having previously used the codename “Orion.” While details remain scarce, some intriguing hints have surfaced recently.

At the Digital Dragons 2025 conference, Mike Pondsmith, the creator of the Cyberpunk universe, shared a few insights about his involvement with the upcoming title. Although he clarified that he isn’t as deeply involved as he was during the development of Cyberpunk 2077, he continues to consult on scripts and occasionally visits the studio to review progress.

During one visit, Pondsmith spoke with environment artists and got a sneak peek at some of the new world-building elements being developed. He remarked:

“Last week I was wandering around talking to different departments, and seeing what they had, ‘Oh look, this is the new cyberware, what do you think?’ ‘Oh yeah, that’s pretty good, that works here.’ ”

More notably, he confirmed that the sequel will introduce a completely new city in addition to the iconic Night City. Describing the urban aesthetic of this new location, he likened it to “Chicago gone wrong.”

“I remember looking at it and going, yeah I understand the feel you’re going for this, and this really does work. And it doesn’t feel like Blade Runner, it feels more like Chicago gone wrong. I said, ‘Yeah, I can see this working.’”

It’s important to note that while Pondsmith compared the city’s atmosphere to a dystopian version of Chicago, this doesn’t necessarily mean the game will be set directly in a futuristic iteration of the real-world city. Rather, it evokes the same visual and thematic energy.

Current CD Projekt Red Projects

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There’s already speculation about whether Cyberpunk 2 will expand the existing Night City map or build an entirely new version. What appears certain is that both Night City and this new metropolis will be present—and potentially fully explorable. If true, this could mark the first time in the series that players can freely explore multiple major cities within a single title.

CD Projekt is clearly juggling a full slate of ambitious projects. Alongside the sequel, the studio is supporting a new Cyberpunk animated series on Netflix, following the success of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Closer to home, Cyberpunk 2077 is scheduled to launch on the Nintendo Switch 2 next month, further expanding the game’s reach.

With so many moving pieces, the future of the Cyberpunk franchise looks more vibrant than ever—even if we’ll have to wait a while to experience it firsthand.