Mike Pondsmith Teases Orion: Night City & Chicago

CD Projekt's highly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, codenamed Project Orion, remains shrouded in secrecy. However, Cyberpunk creator Mike Pondsmith recently revealed exciting new details during the Digital Dragons 2025 conference.

While Pondsmith admitted being less involved in the sequel's development compared to the original game, he confirmed reviewing scripts and visiting CD Projekt's studios to provide feedback. "Last week I was consulting with different teams about their designs," Pondsmith shared. "They'd show me new cyberware prototypes asking, 'What do you think?' and I'd evaluate how well they fit the Cyberpunk universe."

A Glimpse Into Project Orion's World

Pondsmith revealed that the sequel will introduce a brand new city alongside Night City, describing it as "Chicago gone wrong in a cyberpunk future." The creator emphasized this new location will have its own distinct identity rather than replicating Blade Runner aesthetics, saying, "The environment team has created something that feels uniquely cyberpunk yet different from what we've seen before."

It's important to note Pondsmith's description refers to the city's thematic essence rather than confirming an actual futuristic Chicago setting. The exact relationship between this new location and Night City remains unclear, including whether both will be fully explorable in the final game.

CD Projekt's Current Development Priorities

While Project Orion is in active development at CD Projekt's new Boston studio, the company currently has 84 staff focused on the project during its conceptual phase. The Witcher 4 (codenamed Polaris) remains CD Projekt's primary focus, with the Cyberpunk sequel likely years away from release.

The Cyberpunk universe continues expanding with a new Netflix animated series following Cyberpunk: Edgerunners' success. More imminently, Cyberpunk 2077 will launch on Nintendo's next-generation console.