Cyberpunk 2077 will receive its “last big update” tomorrow, December 5, 2023, as developer CD Projekt Red turns its attention towards the sequel, codenamed Orion, and the next mainline Witcher game, codenamed Polaris.
Speaking to IGN, CD Projekt Red confirmed Update 2.1, which arrives alongside the Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, is the final major update for the three year-old game. CD Projekt Red, as well as ramping up development for its next mainline Witcher game, codenamed Polaris, is switching focus to the full Cyberpunk 2077 sequel.
A post on X/Twitter from global community director Marcin Momot first implied this was the case, saying CD Projekt Red had “one more patch for Cyberpunk 2077” up its sleeve. IGN reached out for clarification from the developer, to which a spokesperson confirmed: “To echo Marcin Momot’s tweet, Update 2.1 is meant to be the last big update.”
The developer certainly suggested as much in its November 2023 financial earnings report, in which it showed that, following the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 expansion Phantom Liberty, nearly half of its staff were now working on Witcher 4. The Cyberpunk 2077 team had been diluted to include developers working on the main game, Phantom Liberty, the Ultimate Edition, and developers “in transfer”.
CD Projekt Red confirmed in May 2023 that former Cyberpunk 2077 staff would be joining Orion’s development as well as the next Witcher, so many of these developers in transfer will slowly but surely join the sequel’s team proper.
Developing Orion isn’t as simple as the next Witcher entry, however, as CD Projekt Red is building a brand new studio in the U.S. to create the sequel. CEO Adam Kiciński said in November 2023 that a core team of 10 Cyberpunk franchise leaders, including game director Gabe Amatangelo, are currently there already, and while some hires have been made, the team is still in its infancy.
Orion is currently in its conceptual phase, meaning pre-production hasn’t even begun yet. Kiciński made clear CD Projekt Red North America therefore won’t need hundreds of developers immediately, but likely only around 40 or 50 team members within the next year.
CD Projekt Red told IGN in November it’s determined not to repeat the same practices that led to Cyberpunk 2077’s turbulent launch, which saw the game removed from sale on the PlayStation Store, and has already changed several significant development processes as a result. It was this rocky start that led CD Projekt Red to work on Cyberpunk 2077 for so long, as the developer sought to turn it around and regain the trust of players.
Little is known about Orion given it is still in a conceptual phase, but Cyberpunk 2077 narrative director Igor Sarzyński said he wants the series to undergo a similar evolution to The Witcher. Even major gameplay decisions are yet to be made, but CD Projekt Red is open to changing things up if it deems the likes of third-person better than first-person.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
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