Summary
- CD Projekt Red is in the process of shifting focus to The Witcher 4, with Cyberpunk 2077 support slowing down.
- Project Orion, Cyberpunk 2077's sequel, is still in early pre-production and may not be released until 2029 or 2030.
- CD Projekt Red has plans to release Cyberpunk 2077 side projects such as a Netflix series and a live-action adaptation to tide fans over until Project Orion.
Cyberpunk 2077's woes are behind it, with developer CD Projekt Red having spent nearly five years course correcting in the wake of its uneasy launch. Cyberpunk 2077's turnaround is a notable achievement, and the goodwill it has won back since 2020 has been a reason for fans to look even more positively towards what CDPR will do next with it. A sequel, codenamed Project Orion, was announced as early as 2022. And though details have remained light, the follow-up has understandably been garnering equal amounts of excitement and speculation.
Most recently, the studio released a new trailer for The Witcher 4, the highly-awaited next installment in its other popular IP. With CDPR previously stating that support for Cyberpunk 2077 has wound down, it's now turning its attention firmly to the fourth Witcher entry. Project Orion is thus taking a backseat for now, and it will likely be a while before there's more substantial news or updates about it. Even so, the series isn't being totally left behind, as there are a couple of CP2077-related items in the pipeline that are set to give fans more from the franchise ahead of the sequel.
Cyberpunk 2077 received an unexpected update this January after it was previously implied no additional ones were forthcoming.
Cyberpunk 2077 Fans May Want to Keep an Eye on MindsEye
Cyberpunk 2077 fans who are looking for another big-budget sci-fi adventure may want to keep an eye on the upcoming game, MindsEye.
Despite CD Projekt Red Shifting Focus More on The Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077 Isn't Entirely Slowing Down Before Project Orion
Project Orion Will Probably Be in the Works For a While
In addition to The Witcher 4, CD Projekt Red also has other Witcher games in development, among them a remake of the original and a multiplayer title. Given that these seem to be taking priority over Project Orion, current predictions put its release around 2029 or 2030. The studio has been expanding to better support its workload, though, opening a new office in Boston, MA., last Spring, with the North American outlet posting recent job listings regarding Project Orion. While encouraging, the sequel is known to be still in early pre-production stages at this time, and presumably will only ramp up following the release of the next Witcher installment.
Upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 Side Projects
- An animated Netflix series that was confirmed in 2024.
- A live-action adaptation announced in 2023, to be produced in partnership with Anonymous Content (Mr. Robot, The Revenant.)
Although it will be a new story, the first looks to capitalize on the success of the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime, which was highly-received and went a long way towards building back Cyberpunk 2077' s reputation while introducing the IP to a wider audience. As for the second, it's presently unclear whether it will be a show or a full-length film. Cyberpunk 2077 has featured major actors previously, though, and either direction is a promising one to expand on the setting. And while neither have release windows yet, chances are good they'll be out before (or possibly concurrent with) Project Orion.
CD Projekt Red Could Tide Fans Over With Other Potential Cyberpunk 2077 Tie-Ins
There are other ways for CD Projekt Red to deliver more Cyberpunk 2077 content while fans await Project Orion. A comic series, Cyberpunk 2077: Trauma Team, was released in 2020, just a few months before the game's launch. Another of these could work well and serve to connect to the sequel. The 2024 tabletop RPG, Gangs of Night City, could also serve as a good basis for a spin-off, along the lines of Thonebreaker: The Witcher Tales. So, while it might be a good few years until Project Orion, fans can be assured that there are a couple of significant Cyberpunk 2077 works planned to enjoy in the meantime, and CDPR could always surprise by revealing more as it goes along.
Cyberpunk 2077
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 76 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
- Released
- December 10, 2020
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
