"Project Orion: Night City and a Twisted Chicago, Teased by Mike Pondsmith"

CD Projekt's highly anticipated sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, codenamed Project Orion, remains shrouded in mystery, but Mike Pondsmith, the creator of the Cyberpunk universe, has recently shared intriguing insights. Pondsmith, who played a significant role in the development and promotion of the original game, which sold over 30 million copies, spoke about his involvement in Project Orion at the Digital Dragons 2025 conference.

While Pondsmith admitted that his involvement this time is less hands-on, he still reviews scripts and visits CD Projekt to provide feedback on the ongoing work. During a recent visit, he engaged with various departments and offered his opinions on new elements such as cyberware.

The most exciting detail Pondsmith revealed is that Project Orion will introduce a new city alongside the familiar Night City from Cyberpunk 2077. He described this new city as reminiscent of "Chicago gone wrong," suggesting a dystopian atmosphere distinct from the Blade Runner-inspired aesthetics of Night City. However, Pondsmith clarified that this doesn't confirm the sequel will feature a future Chicago, but rather a city with a similar dystopian feel.

Speculation abounds about whether the sequel will expand upon the existing Night City or introduce a new version entirely, and to what extent these cities will be playable. It appears that Project Orion may offer two fully realized, playable cities, adding depth and variety to the game's world.

CD Projekt is currently prioritizing The Witcher 4, but a new studio in Boston is dedicated to Project Orion. Earlier this year, it was reported that 84 out of CD Projekt's 707 employees are working on the sequel, which is still in its concept phase. Given its early stage of development, fans should not expect Project Orion to launch anytime soon.

In addition to the game, CD Projekt is also working on a new Cyberpunk animation project for Netflix, following the success of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. In the near future, Cyberpunk 2077 is slated to release on the Nintendo Switch 2, expanding its reach to a new platform.

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