Mike Pondsmith Unveils Project Orion: Night City, Dystopian Chicago

While details about CD Projekt's Cyberpunk 2077 sequel (codenamed Project Orion) remain scarce, series creator Mike Pondsmith recently shared intriguing insights during Digital Dragons 2025.

Behind the Scenes of Project Orion

Pondsmith confirmed his involvement is more limited compared to the original game, though he still reviews scripts and provides creative feedback during studio visits. "Last week I was talking with various teams," he said, "'Look at this new cyberware - what do you think?' 'That works well here.'"

A Glimpse at Project Orion's Setting

The biggest revelation involves an entirely new city joining Night City's familiar streets. Pondsmith described this metropolitan addition as reminiscent of "Chicago gone wrong" - though clarifying this reflects atmosphere rather than literal geography.

"The environment team showed me Orion's new location," Pondsmith continued. "There's another metropolis we'll visit alongside Night City...it achieves this distinctive dystopian character without feeling derivative."

Development Reality Check

Currently in concept phase with 84 developers assigned (out of CDPR's 707 total staff), Project Orion remains years from release as The Witcher 4 takes priority. The studio has established a dedicated Boston location specifically for the Cyberpunk sequel.

For Cyberpunk fans awaiting Orion's arrival, upcoming projects include:

• A new Cyberpunk animation series on Netflix following Edgerunners' success
• The Nintendo Switch 2 port of Cyberpunk 2077