The narrative director at CD Projekt states that Cyberpunk 2077 was just a warm-up as work begins on the sequel

So, the new year has arrived, and the developers at CD Projekt Red have decided to shift their focus away from Cyberpunk 2077 and concentrate on its upcoming sequel at the studio's new office in Boston. In a tweet by Cyberpunk's narrative director, Igor Sarzyński, it was stated that the team is ready to "officially start our journey to Orion" (the working title for the Cyberpunk sequel) following the successful Phantom Liberty expansion and the 2.0 update of the original Cyberpunk.

And my goodness, they sound confident. In the same tweet, Sarzyński mentioned that, after all the trials and tribulations, "2077 was just a warm-up" compared to what CDPR envisions for the next Cyberpunk. That statement might make sense for someone excited about their next project, but in the context of Cyberpunk 2077, it evokes both understanding and painful feelings.

As some of my colleagues at PCG put it, if Cyberpunk 2077 could be called a "warm-up," it's the kind where you accidentally shatter your own shinbone and require three years to recover. The game might be on a path of redemption in 2023 — and by the way, I played it after the 2.0 version and enjoyed every moment — but we cannot ignore the nightmarish launch and the subsequent crunch and overhaul it had to endure.

Nevertheless, I'm optimistic and hope that CDPR has learned the right lessons from Cyberpunk 2077, regardless of whether it was a warm-up or not. My excellent experience with the game in its current state makes me very eager for Orion, whatever it turns out to be, and I'm intrigued by the news that the developers are now fully immersed in the project at the beginning of this new year. Frankly, I just want to spend a little more time with my lifelong buddy Johnny Silverhand.

In due course, we'll learn more about CDPR's different plans regarding Cyberpunk and The Witcher, and let's hope that the teams working on them are given all the time they need to finish, especially after the layoffs at CDPR last year. And if the company decides to release something earlier, please take a note from my colleague Ted Litchfield and label it as early access from the start. No matter how warmed up you are, it's better to start with a slow pace.