Latest news with #Pondsmith
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cyperpunk 2 goes beyond Night City to a new location that "feels more like Chicago gone wrong," according to the creator of the original tabletop RPG
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Cyberpunk 2 – currently only officially known by the codename Project Orion – was officially announced way back in 2022, but the devs at CD Projekt Red have spent the past few years being pretty reticent to reveal any details about the new game. But Mike Pondsmith, creator of the original tabletop RPG that the games are based on, has just let slip a few new details on Project Orion's setting. During an interview presented at the Digital Dragons conference earlier today, Pondsmith said he's "not as involved directly" with Project Orion has he was with Cyberpunk 2077, but also that he recently visited the devs at CDPR. "I was wandering around talking to different departments and seeing what they had," Pondsmith explained, offering his opinions on features like new cyberware. "I spent a lot of time talking to one of the environment guys," Pondsmith continued. "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." You can see this moment for yourself at the 3:45:47 mark in the video above, and the brief hesitation Pondsmith has really makes it feel like he's revealed a bit more about the game than he was supposed to. Nonetheless, he went on to give us a few more details. "Night City's still there," Pondsmith said. "But I remember looking at and going 'yeah, I understand the feel that you're going for in this, and this really does work.' It doesn't feel like Blade Runner. It feels more like Chicago gone wrong. I said 'yeah, I can see this working.'" Rumors and fan theories have persisted for years that the Cyberpunk sequel might go to Chicago, but it now seems certain that even if the game doesn't go to the Windy City itself, it is going someplace very similar. Here are all the upcoming CD Projekt Red games you need to know about.
Hypebeast
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
CD Projekt Red To Expand the ‘Cyberpunk' Universe With ‘Project Orion' Game
Summary CD Projekt Red's highly anticipated sequel toCyberpunk 2077, codenamedProject Orion, is currently in development. Specific details about the game remain limited, but recent insights have emerged from Mike Pondsmith, the original creator of theCyberpunktabletop RPG. In an interview with Polish gaming channeltvgryat the Digital Dragons Conference, Pondsmith revealed thatProject Orionwill introduce a second major city. He characterized this new setting as 'Chicago gone wrong,' presenting a significant stylistic contrast to the vibrant, neon-lit andBlade Runner-inspired aesthetic of Night City. Although Pondsmith is less directly involved inProject Orioncompared to its predecessor, he confirmed that he has reviewed scripts and visited the development studio to provide feedback. He noted that the new city will have a distinct atmosphere, diverging from Night City's cyberpunk noir feel. While he refrained from confirming whether the setting is literally Chicago, fans have speculated that the game may incorporate in-universe lore referencing Chicago's economic collapse, corporate wars and bio-plague — elements that align with the gritty, dystopian themes of the franchise. Project Orionis being developed by CD Projekt Red's Boston and Vancouver studios, with the goal of pushing theCyberpunkfranchise forward. While CD Projekt Red has not yet announced a definitive release date forProject Orion, the studio has hinted at crucial technical details. The game is expected to be built using Unreal Engine 5, promising enhanced visuals and immersive gameplay.
Hindustan Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Cyberpunk 2077 sequel to feature mysterious second city: ‘Chicago Gone Wrong' soon
CD Projekt Red is developing a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 under the codename Project Orion. Since its announcement in 2022, the studio has shared limited information about the game. Recently, Mike Pondsmith, the creator of the original Cyberpunk tabletop RPG that inspired the video game, revealed new details about the sequel, including the addition of a second city alongside Night City. In an interview with Polish media outlet TVGRY at the Digital Dragons Conference, Pondsmith explained that while he is not as closely involved in the sequel as he was in the original game, he has reviewed some of the new scripts. He also spent time discussing the development with various departments, examining new cyberware and other game elements. Also read: BGMI redeem codes for May 21: Grab free skins, rewards, and check how to claim now Pondsmith confirmed that Project Orion will introduce a second city that players will visit, expanding the game's setting beyond Night City. Although he did not provide specific details about the new location, he described its atmosphere as 'Chicago gone wrong,' distinguishing it from the Blade Runner-inspired feel of Night City. He stated, 'I remember looking at it and going, 'Yeah, I understand the feel that you're going for, and this really does work.'' Night City will still be part of the game, maintaining continuity with the original Cyberpunk 2077. The introduction of a second city suggests Project Orion will offer a larger and more complex world compared to its predecessor. This expansion follows the first game's growth, which included a new district called Dogtown in the Phantom Liberty expansion. Also read: Mafia: The Old Country releasing on 8 August, 2025: Here's everything you need to know Since the first reveal of Project Orion, CD Projekt Red has kept further details under wraps. The studio previously stated that the sequel aims to push the Cyberpunk franchise forward and explore the potential of its dystopian universe more deeply. Additional information about the game surfaced earlier this year when CD Projekt Red's Boston studio, leading the development of the sequel, advertised an open role describing the game's crowd system as 'the most realistic and reactive crowd system in any game to date.' Also read: Apple Arcade to add UNO: Arcade edition, What the Car? and more in June game lineup Project Orion is being built using Epic Games' Unreal Engine 5 and is expected to release on PC and current-generation consoles. However, CD Projekt Red has not announced a release date, and the game remains several years away from launch.
Metro
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Cyberpunk 2077 sequel will feature at least two cities says franchise creator
The sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 will involve 'another city', as tabletop game designer Mike Pondsmith offers the first detail about the new video game. It was a bumpy ride getting there, but Cyberpunk 2077 is now uncontroversially accepted as one of the most critically and commercially successful video games of all time. And there's only one thing that means: a sequel. One has been announced, under the codename Project Orion, but very little has been said about it so far, by developer CD Projekt Red – who are currently more concerned with Switch 2 launch title Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition. Although many don't realise, Cyberpunk 2077 is based on a tabletop role-playing game that dates all the way back to 1988. Creator Mike Pondsmith was a consultant for the first game and has some involvement with the sequel too, which he's probably said more about than he was supposed to. Speaking at the 2025 Digital Dragons conference in Poland, Pondsmith mentioned that he, '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.' He seemed to be aware that he probably wasn't supposed to be saying any of that, but continued on anyway, confirming that Night City is also still part of the sequel. Although he didn't state what the new city is called, he recalled another conversation with CD Projekt Red's developers: 'I remember looking at [the new city] and going, 'Yeah, I understand the feel that you're going for and this really does work. It doesn't feel like Blade Runner, it feels more like Chicago gone wrong'. That doesn't mean that it literally is Chicago, but perhaps not coincidentally, that has been rumoured as a destination in the sequel for some time now. There are several posters in Cyberpunk 2077 that mention the city, with one that reads 'Travel from Chicago to Night City in under three hours, coming in 2080.' You can view that as simply a bit of environmental detail or a purposeful clue, perhaps even to the name of the sequel. Things get even more suspicious when you take into account the DLC expansion Phantom Liberty, one of whose endings is set several years later, after the 'Transcontinental Maglev Network' to Chicago has been completed. That does seem to add up to a pretty compelling rumour, but whether it's just a made-up city that looks a bit like Chicago, or the place itself, Pondsmith does make clear that the original Night City is not the only location in the sequel. Despite insisting that he's not as involved with the follow-up as he was with the original, Pondsmith says he's still shown scripts and, as his anecdotes make clear, gets to visit the development studios, which this time round are in Boston and Vancouver. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Fortnite mobile still not available in UK despite return to US App Store MORE: Next gen Xbox could remove backwards compatibility and add PS5 games says report MORE: If Borderlands 4 costs £80 Gearbox's boss thinks you should pay it
