Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel Sheds 'Project Orion' Codename, Enters Pre-Production Phase

The Cyberpunk 2077 sequel was announced in 2022 as "Project Orion" and is being developed by CD Projekt Red's North America studio in Boston.

Written by Manas Mitul | Updated: 29 May 2025 13:08 IST

Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel Sheds 'Project Orion' Codename, Enters Pre-Production Phase

Photo Credit: CD Projekt Red

Cyberpunk 2077 sequel was previously codenamed "Project Orion"

Highlights

Cyberpunk 2 now has a development team of 96 people
The sequel is likely years away from launch
Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty has sold over 10 million copies

The Cyberpunk 2077 sequel has entered the pre-production phase, CD Projekt confirmed Wednesday. The company also said the game had left behind its “Project Orion” codename and would now be known as Cyberpunk 2. It's unclear, however, if that will be the official title of the sequel when it launches. The Cyberpunk 2077 sequel was announced in 2022 and is being developed by CD Projekt Red's North America studio in Boston.

'Cyberpunk 2' Now in Pre-Production

The polish company provided the development update in its first-quarter 2025 earnings report, confirming the sequel had wrapped up its conceptual phase.

“Several weeks ago the CD PROJEKT RED team responsible for the next big game set in the Cyberpunk universe completed the project's conceptual phase. As a result, Cyberpunk 2 – previously known under the codename Project Orion – has progressed to preproduction,” CD Projekt said in its financial report.

Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel Will Feature a New Location in Addition to Night City

The game was announced in 2022 as Project Orion but will now be known as Cyberpunk 2. That, however, is not the official title of the sequel. CD Projekt Red senior PR manager Ola Sondej confirmed to The Verge that the new moniker merely means “it's another game in the Cyberpunk universe.”

In an earnings presentation slide, the studio also confirmed that the Cyberpunk 2 development team had grown from 84 staff members in February to 96 by the end of April. The company is currently working on multiple projects, with most of its 730 employees allocated to The Witcher 4. The next Witcher title, which moved to full-scale production in November 2024, now has 422 developers working on it. Project Sirius, the multiplayer Witcher spinoff, now has a development team of 48, while 19 employees are working on a new IP called Project Hadar.

Cyberpunk 2 does not have a release timeline, but it is likely years away from launch. CD Projekt has remained tightlipped about the game, but some unconfirmed details about the sequel have come to light.

The Witcher 4 Will Not Release Before 2027, CD Projekt Red Says

This month, Cyberpunk creator Mike Pondsmith revealed that the sequel would feature a second city in addition to Night City from the first game. Pondsmith, whose Cyberpunk tabletop RPG inspired the setting, characters and story of Cyberpunk 2077, described the new city as “Chicago gone wrong”.

Phantom Liberty has sold over 10 million copies
Photo Credit: CD Projekt Red

Phantom Libery Sells 10 Million Copies

In its earnings report, CD Projekt announced that total sales of Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty expansion had crossed 10 million copies. “This result fills us with great satisfaction – especially given that a new addition is about to join our Cyberpunk portfolio – on 5 June the game's Ultimate Edition will be coming to the new Nintendo Switch 2 console,” the company said.

The studio also announced that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which celebrated its 10th anniversary of its release on May 19, had sold over 60 million copies, becoming one of the best-selling games of all time.

CD Projekt also reported consolidated sales revenue of PLN 226 million (roughly 514 crore), with PLN 86 million (roughly Rs. 195 crore) in net profit, in the first quarter of 2025.

Cyberpunk 2077

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Good
Good voice acting
Lots to do in Night City
Multiple ways to play
Three lifepaths, multiple endings

Bad
Terrible graphics
Low frame rate that impacts gameplay
Filled with bugs, frequent crashes
Too many loading screens
Enemies are bullet sponges
No cover system
Repetitive NPCs
Too much loot

Read detailed CD Projekt Cyberpunk 2077 review

Genre Action-Adventure

Platform PlayStation 4 (PS4), PlayStation 5 (PS5), Stadia, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PC: Windows

Modes Single-player

PEGI Rating 18+

More CD Projekt Games

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Genre RPG

Platform PlayStation 5 (PS5), Xbox Series S/X, PC: Windows

Modes Single-player

PEGI Rating 18+

More CD Projekt Games

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Further reading: Cyberpunk 2077, Cyberpunk 2, Project Orion, Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, CD Projekt Red, CD Projekt

Manas Mitul

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In his time as a journalist, Manas Mitul has written on a wide spectrum of beats including politics, culture and sports. He enjoys reading, walking around in museums and rewatching films. Talk to Manas about football and tennis, but maybe don’t bring up his video game backlog. More