Cyberpunk 2 has officially entered pre-production, CD Projekt Red confirmed.

The studio shared this update within its latest financial report, highlighting that the Phantom Liberty expansion for Cyberpunk 2077 surpassed 10 million copies sold.

According to the developer, 96 of its 730 employees are now focused on Cyberpunk 2. The larger team (422 staff) remains dedicated to developing The Witcher 4.

Cyberpunk 2 still appears distant from release, much like The Witcher 4. However, we finally know the official title after it was previously known by its codename, Orion.

Pondsmith noted that while he is less involved this time than before, he reviews scripts and visited the studio to inspect ongoing progress.

Last week I was wandering around talking to different departments, and seeing what they had, ‘Oh look, this is the new cyberware, what do you think?’ ‘Oh yeah, that’s pretty good, that works here.'

The sequel also introduces a brand-new city alongside Night City. Pondsmith described the setting as “like Chicago gone wrong.”

I spent a lot of time talking to one of the environment guys, and he was explaining how the new place in Orion, because there’s another city we visit — I’m not telling you any more than that but there’s another city we visit. And Night City is still there. But I remember looking at it and going, yeah I understand the feel you’re going for this, and this really does work. And it doesn’t feel like Blade Runner, it feels more like Chicago gone wrong. I said, ‘Yeah, I can see this working.'

Pondsmith’s remarks suggest the sequel might feature a city with the aesthetic of a dystopian Chicago rather than the actual future version of the metropolis.

Every CD Projekt Red Game In Development

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Discussions are already underway regarding whether Cyberpunk 2 will expand the original Night City or introduce a fresh version, as well as how playable it will be. While uncertainties remain, the sequel likely features at least two fully realized cities.

CD Projekt Red is experiencing an incredibly busy period. A new Cyberpunk animated series for Netflix follows up on the acclaimed Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. In the near term, Cyberpunk 2077 will launch on Nintendo Switch 2 next month.