Cyberpunk 2077 sequel Cyberpunk 2 has formally entered pre-production, developer CD Projekt has confirmed.
The studio made the announcement as a part of its newest monetary outcomes, the place it mentioned the Phantom Liberty growth for Cyberpunk 2077 had hit a powerful 10 million copies offered.
96 of CD Projekt’s 730 builders are actually engaged on Cyberpunk 2, it added. Nearly all of the workers (422) is engaged on The Witcher 4, which is in full manufacturing.
“A number of weeks in the past the CD Projekt Crimson group liable for the subsequent massive sport set within the Cyberpunk universe accomplished the venture’s conceptual part,” CD Projekt mentioned. “In consequence, Cyberpunk 2 – beforehand identified below the codename Venture Orion – has progressed to pre-production.”
What’s pre-production ? On the planet of AAA growth, pre-production can contain every thing from fleshing out ideas to planning full manufacturing, constructing prototypes to staffing up studios. It can usually take years to finish.
In an investor name following the discharge of the corporate’s monetary report, CD Projekt co-CEO Michał Nowakowski responded to the suggestion Cyberpunk 2 will not launch till late 2030 and even early 2031, and Nowakowski didn’t rule that launch window out.
“I can reiterate in a approach what I mentioned in one of many earlier calls, which was mainly that our journey from pre-production to last launch takes 4 to 5 years on common,” Nowakowski mentioned.
“Having mentioned that, take into account that every venture is exclusive, and there are numerous variables that affect the ultimate end result. So I cannot lead you into particular years, however sure, that is just about the way it seems.”
Cyberpunk 2 nonetheless sounds a great distance off, then. Certainly, so does The Witcher 4. However we no less than now know what CD Projekt is asking the sport, after it was referred to beforehand as its codename, Orion.
We all know subsequent to nothing about Cyberpunk 2, however earlier this month Cyberpunk creator Mike Pondsmith teased some beforehand unknown particulars. Pondsmith, who labored intently with CD Projekt on the 30 million-selling Cyberpunk 2077 and was concerned in selling the sport forward of its 2020 launch, was requested in regards to the scope of his involvement with Orion on the Digital Dragons 2025 convention.
Responding, Pondsmith admitted he wasn’t as concerned this time round, however mentioned he does evaluation scripts and had been to CD Projekt to take a look at the continued work.
“Final week I used to be wandering round speaking to totally different departments, and seeing what that they had, ‘Oh look, that is the brand new cyberware, what do you assume?’ ‘Oh yeah, that’s fairly good, that works right here.’ “
After which, the morsel on the sequel: that it encompasses a model new metropolis along with the Night time Metropolis we all know from Cyberpunk 2077. Pondsmith described this new metropolis as “like Chicago gone mistaken.”
“I spent a variety of time speaking to one of many setting guys, and he was explaining how the brand new place in Orion, as a result of there’s one other metropolis we go to — I’m not telling you any greater than that however there’s one other metropolis we go to. And Night time Metropolis continues to be there. However I bear in mind taking a look at it and going, yeah I perceive the texture you’re going for this, and this actually does work. And it doesn’t really feel like Blade Runner, it feels extra like Chicago gone mistaken. I mentioned, ‘Yeah, I can see this working.’”
It’s price stating that Pondsmith’s feedback don’t essentially counsel the Cyberpunk sequel will characteristic a future Chicago, moderately a metropolis that has the really feel of a dystopian model of town. It might be a tackle future Chicago, however that isn’t confirmed primarily based on these feedback.
There may be additionally already some debate about whether or not Cyberpunk 2 will broaden upon the Night time Metropolis that’s in Cyberpunk 2077 or characteristic a brand new model, and the extent to which it’s playable. There are a variety of unknowns, nevertheless it seems like there could also be two fleshed out playable cities on this sequel on the very least.
It’s a vastly busy time for CD Projekt, in fact. There’s a brand new Cyberpunk animation venture on Netflix following the well-received Cyberpunk: Edgerunners within the works. Within the shorter time period, Cyberpunk 2077 is ready to launch on Nintendo Swap 2 subsequent month.
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You may attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.