Cyberpunk 2 Development Updates Reveal CD Projekt's Plans to Avoid Previous Mistakes

Cyberpunk 2 has had plenty of buzz over the last few weeks, with new info about its development, job ads, and story speculation giving fans plenty to talk about. CD Projekt is working on a follow-up to Cyberpunk 2077, but the studio also needs to fix the issues that plagued the original game's development and launch.

While the first game had seen major improvements, its early issues left many players wondering whether the studio would be able to keep its lofty promises. Some of the lessons learned by the developers have now been addressed to provide a more detailed view of how they want to tackle the next version. 

Cyberpunk 2 game director Gabe Amatangelo and creative director Igor Sarzyński appeared on CD Projekt’s podcast in late September to discuss the franchise’s development process.

Beyond the team’s excitement for the sequel, the conversation turned to a candid discussion about some of the tactics that didn’t work all that well during the production of Cyberpunk 2077. The team at times would design some things to a remarkable level of detail even if the work was still two or two and a half years away, Igor said. 

Designing a massive role-playing game means constant tweaking, because changing one quest can have an impact on a character’s storyline and may require changes to other related quests. Overengineering by developers may wreck a significant portion of the original design for small changes. Igor said the team working on Cyberpunk 2 is trying to plan in fewer cycles and test concepts a lot earlier. 

Another issue that the developers encountered throughout the production of Cyberpunk 2077 was that different departments worked independently. For example, writers could develop a plot in which players make a critical decision, only to realize that the gameplay mechanisms cannot accurately reflect the ramifications of that decision.

This could leave the team with a choice of either rewriting their story or frantically searching for a solution late in development. “I think that now the approach to developing sequels is that we get the authors, quest designers, and the various teams together a lot earlier, and that can allow the story and gameplay to work better together,” Igor noted. 

These changes could directly affect the experience gamers will have when Cyberpunk 2 finally releases. Better communication between departments could help developers build missions that feel more integrated with the systems that support them, rather than having to make compromises later on. It could also give developers more options to explore how the decisions of different players affect the world around them. Although this approach does not guaranty that every system will function as planned, it does indicate that CD Projekt is looking at the production issues that plagued the previous game. 

The devs also talked about how they want the world of the sequel to feel more dynamic.

Gabe was talking specifically about Night City and how some of the mechanics worked at the launch of the original game. One of the most noticeable issues was that police would sometimes appear almost instantly next to the player after a crime was committed. But in light of the city’s complex environments and great visual design, these interactions made several scenarios feel contrived. In version 2.0 of the game, the team greatly improved the police chase system and other dynamic world events. 

Gabe said that things that seemed impossible to combine suddenly became possible, and the team hopes to apply those lessons to the sequel. But his remarks don’t mean that Cyberpunk 2 will bring any particular new feature. Instead, they suggest the devs build on what they’ve learned while beefing up the game’s systems and overall world design. 

For example, if you get in a fight with a gang, that affects the gang’s behavior if you return to the same location later on, but police presence might be relevant even after an event. These are examples of what a more reactive open world could deliver, not necessarily promised sequel features. Night City already has players hooked on its visual design, but that may not matter if the surrounding world behaves less intuitively. CD Projekt should make its streets, characters, and gaming mechanisms more realistic before expanding the map. 

In an interview on October 13, Gabe also discussed how his initial creative vision for Cyberpunk 2 evolved as the production team expanded and other developers contributed their ideas. But it doesn’t necessarily mean the studio has picked up development again, given his comments on the direction of the project shifting over time.

The shifting vision, however, adds another layer of difficulty for CD Projekt as the team has to weigh which concepts are worth pursuing and which should be dropped. The original game inspired high hopes, and the sequel will need to balance its creative ambitions with what the team can realistically deliver. 

Another area where the producers seem to want to build off the last installment’s qualities is the story.

Gabe has expressed his thoughts on technology, identity, the human impact on their life, and his interest in tough choices. Instead of telling the player they did the right thing, the game might let them see the consequences of their choices. Phantom Liberty had explored similar themes with the choices of Songbird and Reed, showing how difficult it is to pick between characters when every choice has its consequences. 

But some memorable adventures are not the same as maintaining an engaging story throughout a role-playing game. Cyberpunk 2 has to integrate these ideas into the main narrative, the side quests, and the character interactions if it is to remain consistently interesting. The developers’ comments suggest they’d like to continue to explore difficult issues, but they haven’t given enough information to know how the whole plot will continue. 

New job postings have also provided insight into the team's current priorities. The Boston development team is looking for a senior level designer to create gameplay regions, monster engagements, and quest destinations in Unreal Engine 5. Other posts are for cinematic animation and environmental design, indicating the team is still working on the practical side of the game’s development. 

Early-September business estimates showed 184 Cyberpunk 2 developers. This is a pretty big jump from the small team that originally started work on the project, but The Witcher 4 had a much larger development team of over 500 people. The discrepancy makes it impossible to draw any conclusions about the production schedule of Cyberpunk 2 just by looking at the team size. 

Meanwhile, the Cyberpunk community continues to speculate about what the sequel will be. In conversations, you’ll hear about two characters in particular: Mr. Blue Eyes and Jefferson Peralez, but their storylines in Cyberpunk 2077 leave many questions unanswered. In the Peralez questline, players learn that an unknown force may be tampering with Jefferson's mind and memories, but no one is identified as the culprit. 

However, it’s still speculation on unresolved plots from the original game, as there is no guaranty that Mr. Blue Eyes will return in the sequel.

Plus, bringing back characters from Cyberpunk 2077 could cause problems, as players may have different endings depending on their choices. Not everyone’s story ends the same way for V, and Songbird’s fate can be changed depending on the choices players make in Phantom Liberty. The sequel could feature a new protagonist and explore another section of the Cyberpunk universe, while still hinting at the fallout from earlier events through subtle links, such as news reports or nods to returning characters. 

Gabe also disclosed during the podcast that Igor has had a long-standing desire to include an idea into a game; however, the creators did not elaborate on what it entailed. It could refer to a gameplay mechanic or a narrative concept, but there is no guarantee it will exist in Cyberpunk 2.

Beyond the game, the Cyberpunk universe is expanding, with a live-action film proposal including Paramount being considered in early October. According to CD Projekt's management, the film seeks to create a new story inside the same universe rather than directly replicating V's journey, while a continuation of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is also being considered. 

Cyberpunk 2 is still under development, and the studio has not confirmed a release date, full feature list, or story specifics. Recent chatter indicates CD Projekt is looking to improve departmental collaboration, test ideas earlier, and create a world that responds more intuitively to player actions.

Such changes may help the sequel avoid some of the problems that plagued Cyberpunk 2077, but their success will ultimately depend on how well the developers apply those lessons. Until more official details are revealed, fans will have to rely on the studio’s development updates to learn what the next chapter of the Cyberpunk universe holds.