Start SlideshowStart SlideshowScreenshot: Cilvanis / YouTube, Naughty Dog / Kotaku, Ubisoft / Kotaku, Epic / Lucasfilm / Kotaku, Image: Atlus, Wizkids / Reddit / Larian Studios, The Pokémon Company / Kotaku, CD Projekt RED, Sandfall Interactive, GameStop / KotakuThis week saw Fortnite targeted by SAG-AFTRA for its use of an AI-powered Darth Vader voice that mimics that of the late James Earl Jones. Also, the folks behind Assassin’s Creed Shadows told us why they opted not to let you kill animals in the open-world adventure, fans of Clair Obscur react to the trollish behavior of the game’s enemies, and Neil Druckmann is once again explaining stuff about the world of The Last of Us that some fans, at least—our writer included--think would be better left ambiguous.Previous SlideNext SlideList slidesPlayers Are Obsessed With How Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Enemies Keep Trolling ThemScreenshot: Cilvanis / YouTubeOne of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's big innovations is adding a dodge, parry, and counter system to its otherwise traditional turn-based battles. It’s a clever tweak that helps keep combat engrossing for its 30+ hour journey and also an incredible opportunity for the game’s developers to troll the crap out of players. - Ethan Gach Read MorePrevious SlideNext SlideList slidesI Wish Neil Druckmann Would Stop Confirming Things About The Last Of UsScreenshot: Naughty Dog / KotakuYou might not know it based on my scathing recaps of The Last of Us’ second season, but I love this series. I love the moral conundrums it presents, the violent grief it depicts, and the games’ excellent writing that poignantly brings all of those complicated emotions to the surface. What I don’t like is listening to pretty much any of the creative team talk about the series, especially when it comes to weighing in on decade-long discourse around its complex storylines. Even when I agree with series director Neil Druckmann’s interpretation of something, we’d all rather he just let bad readings fester in the corners of the internet than tell us exactly what something means. Nevertheless, he continues to do so in interviews. - Kenneth Shepard Read MorePrevious SlideNext SlideList slidesUbisoft Explains Why You Can’t Kill Animals In Assassin’s Creed ShadowsScreenshot: Ubisoft / KotakuAssassin’s Creed Shadows is a very good game that animal lovers can enjoy because there’s no way to harm a single creature in the game (except for people, of course). That’s a first for the franchise and I wanted to learn why Ubisoft went this route for its latest open-world adventure. - Zack Zwiezen Read MorePrevious SlideNext SlideList slidesXbox Game Pass Is Getting Too Many Cool Games This MonthImage: AtlusXbox Game Pass has been killing it this year and May is especially packed. The subscription library is getting a load of cool indies as well as 2024 GOTY contender Metaphor: ReFantazio. That’s on top of all of the heavy hitters that already arrived earlier in the month. There is, quiet simply, no time to play them all. - Ethan Gach Read MorePrevious SlideNext SlideList slidesBaldur’s Gate 3 Figures Are So Ugly Fans Are Getting Full RefundsImage: Wizkids / Reddit / Larian Studios WizKids announced a new collection of Baldur’s Gate 3 miniatures last fall that featured Karlach, Gale, Shadowheart, and other memorably party members from the hit 2023 Dungeon & Dragons-based RPG. The $50 box set has since been released and the figurines look so bad fans are being promised their money back. - Ethan Gach Read MorePrevious SlideNext SlideList slidesThere’s Something Very Suspicious About These New Pokémon PlushiesImage: The Pokémon Company / KotakuRefreshing the Pokémon Center to see what new items have been added each day has become something of an obsession for me. The site adds new stock so incredibly frequently as to be constantly astonishing, and today is no different. The latest arrivals on the store are a new collection of plushies that feature Ditto in 22 new disguises. And they are adorable. - John Walker Read MorePrevious SlideNext SlideList slidesFortnite In Legal Trouble After Adding AI Darth VaderScreenshot: Epic / Lucasfilm / KotakuSAG-AFTRA, the massive actors and media union with over 160,000 members, has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against Epic Games over its inclusion of an AI-powered Darth Vader in a recent Fortnite update. - Zack Zwiezen Read MorePrevious SlideNext SlideList slidesCyberpunk 2077’s Sequel Will Return To Night City, As Well As Take Us Somewhere NewImage: CD Projekt REDWe still don’t know much about the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel currently in the works at CD Projekt Red. Development on the RPG, code-named “Orion,” is in full swing after the studio wrapped support for the original game last year, but the team is still keeping most details about it under wraps, other than a few informal quotes here and there about the vibe it’s trying to capture. However, Mike Pondsmith, the creator of the Cyberpunk tabletop roleplaying game, which first debuted in 1988, has revealed a pretty important piece of information: Alongside returning to the capitalist hellscape of Night City, the sequel will take us to another city as well. - Kenneth Shepard Read MorePrevious SlideNext SlideList slidesClair Obscur: Expedition 33 Promises Fresh Round Of Collector’s Editions As Originals Resell For Over $800Image: Sandfall InteractiveRPG fans love their Collector’s Editions, but few guessed just how big or good Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 would turn out to be, including its own developers. The result was that a very limited set of physical releases, including Collector’s Editions exclusive to certain retailers, immediately vanished from store shelves. People are now trying to resell them for as much as $1,500 on eBay, but fortunately developer Sandfall Interactive has just announced it’s making more. - Ethan Gach Read MorePrevious SlideNext SlideList slidesGameStop Is Selling A Ton Of Big Games For Just $15Image: GameStop / KotakuGameStop must be trying to clear out some space, because the national video game retailer is selling a huge assortment of AAA games, remakes, and recent releases for $15 and $30 as part of a new sale. So why not take advantage of this corporate clean-up and grab some big games for less than half the normal price? - Zack Zwiezen Read More

Xando Member Oct 28, 2017 37,672 At the 2025 Digital Dragons conference in Poland, Mike Pondsmith – the mastermind behind the Cyberpunk universe – shared some news about the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077. He revealed that players will finally get to leave the iconic Night City and dive into a new urban setting. Digital Dragons is one of Europe's top B2B events for the video game industry, put together by the Krakow Technology Park. This year's edition ran from May 18 to 20, 2025, at the ICE Krakow Congress Center. One of this year's guests was Mike Pondsmith, the creator of the Cyberpunk tabletop game series, which later inspired Cyberpunk 2077 developed by CD Project RED. In a chat with Michal Manka (formerly of TVGRY, now with Find Your Next Game by GameStar), Pondsmith mentioned that we'll be visiting "another city" in the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel – but he quickly added that he couldn't say much more. He didn't drop a name or give any details, so it kind of felt like something that slipped out by accident. The interview begins at 3:06:11 and is available to watch in full on the TVGRY YouTube channel as part of the Digital Dragons stream. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Might be somewhat similar to Chicago? There's already been a rumor floating around for a while that the city in the sequel could be Chicago, mainly because some posters in Cyberpunk 2077 mention it. One even says, "Travel from Chicago to Night City in under three hours, coming in 2080." So, could this be a small hint that the rumor's actually true? Click to expand... Click to shrink... Mike Pondsmith hints Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel will feature a new city to explore Project Orion is still shrouded in mystery, but one thing’s clear: we’ll be leaving Night City. Looks like there’ll be a whole new place to burn. www.gamepressure.com Here is the livestream: View: https://www.youtube.com/live/64XD2DtKU64?si=5yY1u_z9XmuW_QSB&t=11170  RayCharlizard Member Nov 2, 2017 4,467 Who needs scope anyway   Zebesian-X Member Dec 3, 2018 25,344 TFW the dystopian hellscape video game has better high-speed rail infrastructure than the real world   Killyoh Member Oct 28, 2017 1,788 Paris, France Day City   Cor Pulmonale Banned May 14, 2025 54 An earlier rumor I read mentioned Texas, so who knows at this point.   Pancracio17 ▲ Legend ▲ Avenger Oct 29, 2017 21,744 Sunset City   Cor Pulmonale Banned May 14, 2025 54 Dayman vs Nightman: The official videogame of the musical of the movie.  Dest Has seen more 10s than EA ever will Coward Jun 4, 2018 16,034 Work fortnite city.   Dan Thunder Member Nov 2, 2017 17,007 Crazy that the game's 5 years old this year!   Kinthey Avenger Oct 27, 2017 25,481 I guess makes sense since they explored night city pretty thoroughly. Would be cool if we see a little bit of night city again though   kodax_shc Member Oct 27, 2017 7,409 Southern California I'd be bummed if the sequel was just more night city, not that it couldn't work but let's go somewhere new please.   MF DOOMbot Member Jun 5, 2023 4,010 Man can't wait to find out more. I always had to admire CD project from a distance because I wasn't really into medieval fantasy. Always heard how good The Witcher was but was less impressed when I played the games myself. Cyberpunk was amazing , Phantom Liberty was amazing. One can only hope they learned their lesson and can deliver a Phantom Liberty level experience from the start.   PlanetSmasher The Abominable Showman Member Oct 25, 2017 132,897 with its extremely powerful mayor the Cyber Day Man  OP OP Xando Member Oct 28, 2017 37,672 Kinthey said: I guess makes sense since they explored night city pretty thoroughly. Would be cool if we see a little bit of night city again though Click to expand... Click to shrink... He says in the stream that night city is still there so i guess it's more like a 2 maps thing.   Not Spaceghost Member Oct 25, 2017 5,093 Would be really interesting to see Seattle which i think is supposed to be the largest city on the west coast or Chicago which is functionally just dog town extra large edition as far as I'm aware. Or hell it would be awesome to see Tokyo which is supposed to be one of the most economically powerful cities post collapse.  Pancracio17 ▲ Legend ▲ Avenger Oct 29, 2017 21,744 Xando said: He says in the stream that night city is still there so i guess it's more like a 2 maps thing. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Unless they reuse 90% of night city as is, im not sure how theyll manage this.   boris_feinbrand Member Oct 26, 2017 7,213 I might be interpreting too much there, but that sounds like there's going to be a new city in addition to Night City. Which would be insane lol.   Uzzy Gabe’s little helper Member Oct 25, 2017 34,445 Hull, UK That would be rather weird if it was set in a completely different city. A side trip to one, sure, but as the main city? Cyberpunk's world has explored parts of the rest of the world, sure, but it's very highly focused on Night City. This isn't Shadowrun with a bunch of cities explored, mapped out and described around the world. Night City is Cyberpunk to a lesser and greater extent.  Yam's Member Oct 27, 2017 4,576 It won't use the same engine as 2077, so the chances of them redoing all of Night City in Unreal 5 were slim anyway, no?   Stormblessed Member Feb 21, 2019 1,595 Uzzy said: That would be rather weird if it was set in a completely different city. A side trip to one, sure, but as the main city? Cyberpunk's world has explored parts of the rest of the world, sure, but it's very highly focused on Night City. This isn't Shadowrun with a bunch of cities explored, mapped out and described around the world. Night City is Cyberpunk to a lesser and greater extent. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Wouldn't it be interesting to chart that out then? Could give them more leeway to make it their own too.   Uzzy Gabe’s little helper Member Oct 25, 2017 34,445 Hull, UK Stormblessed said: Wouldn't it be interesting to chart that out then? Could give them more leeway to make it their own too. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Not really. I'm sure they could make something of it, but like I said, Cyberpunk is Night City, and vice versa.  Beelzebufo Member Jun 1, 2022 5,867 Canada what's the release schedule for all of this again? I'm assuming The Witcher 4 is first, and then is it Witcher remake or Orion after?   SaberVS7 Member Oct 25, 2017 6,732 Zebesian-X said: TFW the dystopian hellscape video game has better high-speed rail infrastructure than the real world Click to expand... Click to shrink... Y'know, this sorta kills me - Night City has better Public Works Infrastructure than most real American cities today. And, per the lore, it's not even "legacy" infrastructure, the NCART network in 2077 is recent, as a replacement for their previous crumbling subway system. Nevermind that Night City has high-density housing within walking distance of amenities. IDK, are we sure Night City is the dystopia when we talk about Real Life America vs Cyberpunk?  Voyevoda Member Nov 1, 2017 2,266 Paris, France Cor Pulmonale said: Dayman vs Nightman: The official videogame of the musical of the movie. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I'm prepared to experience sexual magic.  Vic20 Member Nov 10, 2019 4,430 night city didn't even fulfil its potential. use the same map and build on top of it.  FakePlasticTree Member Jul 24, 2018 14,010 Isn't Night City like litterally the setting? It would be like if a Forgotten Realms game wasn't set on the Sword Coast.   snowblack Member Oct 30, 2024 592 Not Spaceghost said: Would be really interesting to see Seattle which i think is supposed to be the largest city on the west coast or Chicago which is functionally just dog town extra large edition as far as I'm aware. Or hell it would be awesome to see Tokyo which is supposed to be one of the most economically powerful cities post collapse. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Gotta save some for the 3rd game.  Zebesian-X Member Dec 3, 2018 25,344 SaberVS7 said: Y'know, this sorta kills me - Night City has better Public Works Infrastructure than most real American cities today. And, per the lore, it's not even "legacy" infrastructure, the NCART network in 2077 is recent, as a replacement for their previous crumbling subway system. IDK, are we sure Night City is the dystopia when we talk about Real Life America vs Cyberpunk? Click to expand... Click to shrink... lol yeah, the monorail was a fun addition but it was honestly pretty fitting to leave in as an abandoned, half-finished construction project. Sometimes cut content can be worldbuilding!   SaberVS7 Member Oct 25, 2017 6,732 Yam's said: It won't use the same engine as 2077, so the chances of them redoing all of Night City in Unreal 5 were slim anyway, no? Click to expand... Click to shrink... Aside from handling interior loading-zones, they wouldn't really have to "redo" Night City if they leverage existing assets. Static meshes and textures don't care what engine they're in - Aside from the material-shaders. And if they're not reusing all the assets they made, it wouldn't even matter if they'd stuck with REDEngine, that's still a lot of work to redo.  Stormblessed Member Feb 21, 2019 1,595 Uzzy said: Not really. I'm sure they could make something of it, but like I said, Cyberpunk is Night City, and vice versa. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Fair enough. There is a lot of ways they can expand Night City especially if they give it a good time gap.   Spehornoob Member Nov 15, 2017 11,431 Isn't Chicago a toxic wasteland in Cyberpunk lore?   Vertigo1 Member Jun 30, 2023 1,079 I'll be there   SDBurton Community Resettler Member Oct 25, 2017 10,201 Don't really care where we go, just give me third-person cutscenes please.   Not Spaceghost Member Oct 25, 2017 5,093 Spehornoob said: Isn't Chicago a toxic wasteland in Cyberpunk lore? Click to expand... Click to shrink... By 2077 it's supposed to have at least partly been rebuilt, there's a few mentions of people going there in game. I think by rail or something. But I imagine it's very much a Pacifica situation  Yam's Member Oct 27, 2017 4,576 SaberVS7 said: Aside from handling interior loading-zones, they wouldn't really have to "redo" Night City if they leverage existing assets. Static meshes and textures don't care what engine they're in - Aside from the material-shaders. And if they're not reusing all the assets they made, it wouldn't even matter if they'd stuck with REDEngine, that's still a lot of work to redo. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Oh I thought they'd have everything to redo, I didn't know they could reuse everything in another engine. Would this also mean they could keep the same art style? Cause I loved how NC looked in 2077.  Yurei Member Feb 28, 2023 1,305 I dont know shit about the wider world of Cyberpunk, what cities would be exciting to explore?   behOemoth Member Oct 27, 2017 6,687 I hope they will design a proper "architecture" (I mean not the artstyle) next time that is suitable for a game, because the feel of the city is just bad when you walk through it and interact with it.   Mobius and Pet Octopus Member Oct 25, 2017 16,830 I've said in the past I think a whole new city would be totally appropriate for a sequel. I was told night city is basically the entire setting. But I could definitely see them creating their own city from the ground up and it doing really well.   Antony Member Oct 25, 2017 4,046 If it's not something in addition to Night City then it would be a mistake. So much unrealised potential in the existing map, all they need to do is that again but make it interactive (enterable buildings, useable facilities, etc.)  boris_feinbrand Member Oct 26, 2017 7,213 Antony said: If it's not something in addition to Night City then it would be a mistake. So much unrealised potential in the existing map, all they need to do is that again but make it interactive (enterable buildings, useable facilities, etc.) Click to expand... Click to shrink... Hope they look after us habitual building climbers lol. If they build upon the "unintentional" Parkour system, the possibility for urban exploring is going to be even better. Populating rooftops and areas usually not designed to be reached with automated systems would go a long way.  Western Yokai Member Feb 14, 2025 146 I hope it's São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro   TraderPoe Member Oct 31, 2017 5,276 Pacific Northwest I see all the teasers in the map for Tokyo... I have a feeling its gonna be that   Valus Member Nov 21, 2017 1,247 Sequel?? Aren't they working on Witcher 4 now?   SofNascimento cursed Member Oct 28, 2017 24,890 São Paulo - Brazil Rome would be the perfect setting for a Cyberpunk game and I can prove it.   Cheesetriangles Member Dec 5, 2017 2,494 Valus said: Sequel?? Aren't they working on Witcher 4 now? Click to expand... Click to shrink... They are doing both.   Rygar 8Bit Member Oct 25, 2017 17,776 Site-15 Valus said: Sequel?? Aren't they working on Witcher 4 now? Click to expand... Click to shrink... This was announced a while ago as Project Orion Cyberpunk 2.  Horns Member Dec 7, 2018 3,399 Where ever it may be set, I am assuming it is 5-7 years away at this point. I loved cp2077, but it will be many years until we ever get a sequel. Hard to get hyped for it when it is so long away.   Reflecting Sky Member Mar 17, 2024 2,669 Valus said: Sequel?? Aren't they working on Witcher 4 now? Click to expand... Click to shrink... I believe the Polish studio is doing The Witcher 4, while their American branch is working on this Orion project.  Slim Action Member Jul 4, 2018 7,038 FakePlasticTree said: Isn't Night City like litterally the setting? It would be like if a Forgotten Realms game wasn't set on the Sword Coast. Click to expand... Click to shrink... This is actually a great comparison because Faerûn is way bigger than just the Sword Coast   FakePlasticTree Member Jul 24, 2018 14,010 Slim Action said: This is actually a great comparison because Faerûn is way bigger than just the Sword Coast Click to expand... Click to shrink... I think the comparison is apt as the Sword Coast is basically the setting when it comes to the Forgotten Realms same as Night city is for Cyberpunk RED even if there technically is other regions. Even when BG2 left the city of Baldur's Gate it was still the Sword Coast.  

A sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, codenamed Project Orion, is in the works at CD Projekt Red. The Polish studio has stayed tightlipped on the project since it was first announced in 2022, but sparse details about the game have surfaced over time. Now, Cyberpunk franchise creator Mike Pondsmith has shared new information about the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, revealing that the game would include a second location in addition to Night City.Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel to Feature New LocationPondsmith, who created the Cyberpunk tabletop RPG that inspired the setting, characters and story of Cyberpunk 2077, addressed Project Orion in a new interview with Polish outlet TVGRY at the Digital Dragons Conference. He said while he was not as directly involved with the sequel as he was with the first game, he had seen the scripts for the sequel.“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.',” Pondsmith said.He revealed that Project Orion would feature a second city in addition to the first game's Night City but stopped short of sharing details about the new location beyond a tease of what it would feel like.“I spent a lot of time talking to one of the environment guys, and he was explaining how the new place in Orion... because there's another city we visit. I'm not telling you any more than that, but there's another city we visit,” Pondsmith said.He confirmed that Night City was “still there” in the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel and described the second city as “Chicago gone wrong”.“I remember looking at it and going, 'Yeah, I understand the feel that you're going for, and this really does work, and it doesn't feel like Blade Runner — it feels more like Chicago gone wrong'. And I said, ‘Yeah, I can see this working.'”Cyberpunk 2077's Night City is noted for its high level of detailPhoto Credit: CD Projekt RedProject Orion DetailsIncluding two fully-fledged cities would expand the scope of Project Orion considerably, making it a much bigger game than Cyberpunk 2077, especially considering the detail present in Night City in the first game. CD Projekt Red further expanded the city in the Phantom Liberty expansion by adding a new district named Dogtown.While a second location is a significant revelation, CD Projekt Red has been guarded about the sequel since it was revealed as Project Orion in 2022. The studio said in its announcement at the time that the game would take “the Cyberpunk franchise further and continue harnessing the potential of this dark future universe.”Earlier this year, a role description for an open position at CD Projekt Red's Boston studio, which is spearheading development on the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, said the game would feature “the most realistic and reactive crowd system in any game to date”.Project Orion is being developed in Epic Games' Unreal Engine 5 and will likely launch on PC and current-generation consoles. CD Projekt, however, has not yet confirmed a launch timeline and the game is likely years away from release.The studio is also working on The Witcher 4, which may not release before 2027. A host of other The Witcher games are also in development, including a full remake of The Witcher, the first game in the series that released in 2007.

The Last Braindance? Cyberpunk 2077's sequel includes a new city that "feels more like Chicago gone wrong", and I'm now wondering how the USA's collapse might have affected Michael Jordan's legacy Look, all I'm saying is that the declaration of martial law might have made that last three-peat a bit tougher to pull off. Image credit: VG247/CD Projekt News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on May 21, 2025 Cyberpunk 2077's sequel will let us take a detour from the returning Night City to visit a new location which feels a bit "like Chicago gone wrong". Naturally, this news has me questioning how Cyberpunk's timeline might have affected the most prominent basketball dynasty of the 1990s. The tiny nugget of info we got about this second city comes from Mike Pondsmith, creator of the Cyberpunk TTRPG series that CD Projekt's futuristic RPGs are based on. It's the first bit of concrete info about the game - beyond just where it's at in the production process - we've gotten for a while. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Speaking to Tvgry during this year's Digital Dragons Conference, Pondsmith touched on his current relationship with CD Projekt's Cyberpunk devs. He's "not as involved directly with the sequel as he was with the first Cyberpunk, but he does still pop by the studio to look at scripts and offer his views on stuff like new cyberware made for Project Orion. For instance, he revealed that when he was there recently, he "spent a lot of time talking to one of the environment guys, and he was explaining how the new place in Orion - because there's another city we visit, I'm not telling you any more than that, but there's another city we visit." "Night City's still there," Pondsmith continued, telling us more, "I remember looking at it and going 'yeah, I understand the feel that you're going for in this, and this really does work - it doesn't feel like Blade Runner, it feels more like Chicago gone wrong'. I said 'yeah, you know, I can see this working.'" Watch on YouTube This chatter starts at around the three hour and 45 minute mark of the video embedded above, if you want to check it out for yourself. I don't know if you'll do the same, but the mention of a Cyberpunk city that might be a bit like Chicago got me wondering what the existing Cyberpunk lore says about the actual Windy City. According to the series' Fandom Wiki (which does note that it needs more citations), Chi-town was "left in a state of absolute devastation" by the collapse of the United States that occurs between 1996 and 2008 in the Cyberpunk timeline, and was subsequently ravaged by a "catastrophic bio-plague" created by the federal government itself. By 2077, the city's "implied to have undergone some level of reconstruction" by rumours of it being connected to Night City via the transcontinental maglev rail network that Cyberpunk 2077's database describes as "currently inoperational", but subject to revitalisation efforts by Night Corp. Cool. But here's the thing. If Chicago started to fall apart in 1996 - the year that martial law was declared across the USA in Cyberpunk lore - do Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls win the 1996, 1997, and 1998 NBA championships to cement themselves as arguably the greatest basketball dynasty of all-time? That's assuming Jordan and the Bulls even exist in the Cyberpunk universe, but I think it's worth exploring anyway. The situation is this as far as I can tell - the aforementioned martial law runs from 1996 to 1999, so Jordan and co have that to contend with, in addition to a 1998 midwest drought and the collapse doing so much damage that "an estimated 90%" of Chicago is abandoned by the end of it in 2008. It's MJ though. I'm still banking on him to beat the Jazz in the finals, even if he's got to dribble past bio-plagues and hostile cybernetically-augmented soldiers to do it. Do you think his airness still ends up with six rings on his weird cyber-fingers? Also, how do you feel about visiting this second city in Cyberpunk 2? Let us know below!

Cyberpunk 2077 sequel will feature at least two cities says franchise creator GameCentral Published May 21, 2025 11:37am Updated May 21, 2025 11:37am Cyberpunk 2077 – the sequel is bigger than just one city (CD Projekt) The sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 will involve ‘another city’, as tabletop game designer Mike Pondsmith offers the first detail about the new video game. It was a bumpy ride getting there, but Cyberpunk 2077 is now uncontroversially accepted as one of the most critically and commercially successful video games of all time. And there’s only one thing that means: a sequel. One has been announced, under the codename Project Orion, but very little has been said about it so far, by developer CD Projekt Red – who are currently more concerned with Switch 2 launch title Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition. Although many don’t realise, Cyberpunk 2077 is based on a tabletop role-playing game that dates all the way back to 1988. Creator Mike Pondsmith was a consultant for the first game and has some involvement with the sequel too, which he’s probably said more about than he was supposed to. Speaking at the 2025 Digital Dragons conference in Poland, Pondsmith mentioned that he, ‘spent a lot of time talking to one of the environment guys and he was explaining how the new place in Orion… because there’s another city we visit.’ He seemed to be aware that he probably wasn’t supposed to be saying any of that, but continued on anyway, confirming that Night City is also still part of the sequel. Although he didn’t state what the new city is called, he recalled another conversation with CD Projekt Red’s developers: ‘I remember looking at [the new city] and going, ‘Yeah, 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’. That doesn’t mean that it literally is Chicago, but perhaps not coincidentally, that has been rumoured as a destination in the sequel for some time now. There are several posters in Cyberpunk 2077 that mention the city, with one that reads ‘Travel from Chicago to Night City in under three hours, coming in 2080.’ You can view that as simply a bit of environmental detail or a purposeful clue, perhaps even to the name of the sequel. Things get even more suspicious when you take into account the DLC expansion Phantom Liberty, one of whose endings is set several years later, after the ‘Transcontinental Maglev Network’ to Chicago has been completed. That does seem to add up to a pretty compelling rumour, but whether it’s just a made-up city that looks a bit like Chicago, or the place itself, Pondsmith does make clear that the original Night City is not the only location in the sequel. Despite insisting that he’s not as involved with the follow-up as he was with the original, Pondsmith says he’s still shown scripts and, as his anecdotes make clear, gets to visit the development studios, which this time round are in Boston and Vancouver. Phantom Liberty also seems to point towards Chicago as a future location (CD Projekt) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Forward-looking: We might be several years away from the release of Cyberpunk 2077's sequel, but thanks to Mike Pondsmith, creator of the original Cyberpunk tabletop game, we now know some details. Pondsmith, who consulted with CD Projekt during the development of Cyberpunk 2077, was asked about his involvement with the sequel, codenamed Project Orion, at the Digital Dragons 2025 conference. Pondsmith said that while he wasn't as directly involved with the game this time around, he does review Orion's scripts and has been to CD Projekt to take a look at the development. "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'," he said. Pondsmith added that he had spent a lot of time talking to the game's environmental designers, who told him that while the original Night City will still be part of Orion, there will also be another city players can visit. "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," Pondsmith explained. Pondsmith never specifically said that the new location was a future version of Chicago; it's likely a different dystopian city inspired by it. According to Pondsmith himself, Night City was a fusion of San Francisco, "ghetto" LA, Singapore, a lot of Sao Paulo, and Beijing, with CD Projekt Red adding elements of Tokyo. // Related Stories It will also be interesting to see how much Night City has changed in the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel. Given how far technology will have advanced by the time Orion launches, expect something pretty special. And one would imagine CD Projekt will do all it can to avoid another disastrous launch like the one Cyberpunk 2077 endured – before reaching an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam four years later. Right now, CD Projekt's attention will be focused on The Witcher 4, which was revealed in December. The company said in 2024 that it would release before Orion, with the majority of employees working on the Ciri-focused adventure. Earlier this year, CD Projekt said 84 of its 707 staff were working on Orion. As it's still in the concept stage, don't expect to be playing it for a long time yet.

Cyberpunk 2077 sequel features second city that's like "Chicago gone wrong", says series creator V. interesting. Image credit: CD Projekt News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on May 20, 2025 Mike Pondsmith, the creator of the Cyberpunk tabletop RPG that formed the basis of Cyberpunk 2077, has been discussing CD Projekt's in-development sequel, saying it'll feature second city that feels like "Chicago gone wrong". CD Projekt confirmed a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel was in the works back in 2022, and only a scant few details have been shared since then. We know it's currently being referred to by the codename Project Orion, for instance, that it's being developed by CD Projekt's Boston and Vancouver studios, and... well, that's about it. Pondsmith, though, has now provided what might just be the first tangible details of CD Projekt's Cyberpunk 2077 sequel. Speaking to TVGRY during this year's Digital Dragons Conference in Krakow, he explained that while he's "not as involved directly" with Project Orion as he was its predecessor, he still sees the scripts and has been visiting its development studio. Here's a trailer for Cyberpunk 2077's Ultimate Edition.Watch on YouTube "Last week," he revealed, "I was wandering around talking to different departments and seeing what they had... I spent a lot of time talking to one of the environment guys, and he was explaining how the new place in Orion... because there's another city we visit, and I'm not telling you anymore than that." Luckily for everyone (except, perhaps, CD Projekt, which seems unlikely to have sanctioned any of these reveals), Pondsmith did share a little more. First, he confirmed "Night City is still there" alongside this second location, before teasing how Project Orion's two cities will differentiate themselves. "I remember looking at [the new location] and going, 'Yeah, 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.'" Interestingly, while Pondsmith only suggested Project Orion's second location was like Chicago, fans have long speculated the actual city of Chicago will play a key role in CD Projekt's sequel. As explained in a fairly comprehensive post on the Cyberpunk subreddit, the in-universe version of Chicago has struggled through both an economic collapse, a corporate war, and a bio-plague - so "gone wrong" would very much apply here. Additionally, Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty expansion features a possible ending that can nudge players several years forward in the timeline, after which the Transcontinental Maglev Network project referenced in the base game - one linking Night City with Chicago - is revealed to be complete. It's certainly a compelling theory, especially given Pondsmith's latest chatter, but there's obviously no guarantee any of this will make it through the years of development required to turn Project Orion - which is currently in the pre-production phase - into a complete and released game. That won't happen until sometime after The Witcher 4's still-nebulous launch window - but at least that leaves plenty of time to wrap up the original Cyberpunk 2077, which will soon be making its Nintendo debut on Switch 2.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here CD Projekt Red’s upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 sequel is still years away from release as the Polish games studio continues work on The Witcher 4 and its remake of the first Witcher game. However, Cyberpunk creator Mike Pondsmith has already revealed that CDPR is already prepping to massively expand the world of its RPG in the upcoming sequel. Being created in Unreal Engine 5, the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 follow-up will not only take players back to the original game’s Night City, but players will also be able to explore new environments, including a city described as a ruined take on Chicago. Cyberpunk 2077 sequel will take players to a new city Speaking at Digital Dragons 2025, creator Mike Pondsmith explained that he is working with CD Projekt on the next entry in the series. While few details were revealed, Pondsmith revealed that there will be an entirely new map to explore in the sequel. “There is one more city which we are visiting – Night City is still there,” Pondsmith said via a human translation. “I remember how I looked at it and thought ‘yes, I understand the climate you’re going towards and it realistically works; you can’t feel Blade Runner, it’s more like Chicago, which walked the wrong direction.” Pondsmith’s comments that there “is one more city which we are visiting” likely means that the in-development sequel will be split across two maps. While Phantom Liberty added more depth to the original title’s Night City, this new environment should be something completely different. However, it would also be nice to see Night City expanded with cut areas from the original added back in. The original version of the sci-fi metropolis had massively cut down areas that would’ve been nice to explore such as the abandoned Pacifica. Cyberpunk 2077 was already a massively expansive game with its single map, and many players are hoping that the upcoming sequel will offer a more lifelike version of Night City. CDPR has already stated its plan to release more realistic crowds in upcoming games which would fix one of the game’s biggest issues. The upcoming sequel started pre-production back in late 2023 alongside the studio’s shift from its internal RED Engine to Unreal Engine 5. With this in mind, we may see a faster turnaround than the decade-plus development period of the first game, but there’s still no release date for the title. For more on CDPR’s sci-fi RPG series, read about how the game uses DLSS on the Nintendo Switch 2. Cyberpunk 2077 Platform(s): Google Stadia, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox Series X Genre(s): Action, Adventure, RPG 8 VideoGamer Subscribe to our newsletters! By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime. Share