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

CD Projekt's highly anticipated sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, codenamed Project Orion, remains shrouded in mystery. However, Cyberpunk creator Mike Pondsmith recently shared some intriguing details at the Digital Dragons 2025 conference. Although Pondsmith mentioned he is less involved with Project Orion than he was with Cyberpunk 2077, he still reviews scripts and visits CD Projekt to provide feedback on the ongoing development.

During his visit last week, Pondsmith had the opportunity to explore various departments and offer his insights on new cyberware and other elements of the game. The most exciting revelation was about the setting: Project Orion will feature a brand new city alongside the familiar Night City. Pondsmith described this new city as reminiscent of "Chicago gone wrong," suggesting a dystopian atmosphere distinct from the Blade Runner-esque feel of Night City.

It's important to clarify that Pondsmith's comments imply a city with the essence of a dystopian Chicago rather than a literal future Chicago. This has sparked discussions about whether the sequel will expand on the existing Night City or introduce a completely new version, and how much of these cities will be playable. While many details remain uncertain, it appears that Project Orion may offer two fully realized cities for players to explore.

Every CD Projekt Red Game In Development

View 8 ImagesCurrently, CD Projekt's primary focus is on The Witcher 4, but they have established a new studio in Boston dedicated to working on Project Orion. Earlier this year, it was reported that 84 out of CD Projekt's 707 employees are involved in the development of Project Orion, which is still in its conceptual phase. Given this early stage, significant changes could occur, and a release is not anticipated for some time.

In addition to Project Orion, CD Projekt is also working on a new Cyberpunk animation for Netflix, following the success of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. In the near future, fans can look forward to Cyberpunk 2077 being released on the Nintendo Switch 2.