Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel Enters Pre-Production Phase with 96 Developers

CD Projekt RED has officially moved the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel into pre-production. The news was shared during the studio’s latest investor presentation, where the company also revealed steady progress across its slate of major projects.

Development Gains Momentum

The sequel—codenamed "Orion"—is now being developed primarily at CD Projekt’s Boston studio. 

Over the past year, the size of the team working on the project has almost doubled, growing from 56 developers in 2024 to 96 team members in early 2025.

The development team includes several key figures who previously worked on the critically acclaimed Phantom Liberty expansion, bringing valuable experience from that successful project to the new game.

Speaking of expansion, CD Projekt also shared sales figures for Phantom Liberty, which has now sold over 10 million copies worldwide, adding 2 million more sales since the last reported milestone in November 2024. These numbers include both standalone purchases and copies bundled with the Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition.

According to CD Projekt co-CEO Michał Nowakowski, their major titles typically require four to five years from this phase to final release. Hence, Nowakowski suggested a potential release window of late 2030 or early 2031, though emphasized that timelines remain flexible.

Last week, Cyberpunk creator Mike Pondsmith revealed fresh narrative details during the Digital Dragons 2025 conference. According to Pondsmith, the sequel will include a second city alongside the returning Night City. He described the new location as feeling “like Chicago gone wrong,” hinting at a darker, grittier environment distinct from the neon-drenched streets of the original.

CD Projekt’s Broader Roadmap

Despite the momentum behind Cyberpunk 2, the majority of CD Projekt’s development resources remain focused on The Witcher 4. As of Q1 2025, 422 developers out of the company’s 730-person workforce are assigned to the next Witcher game, which officially entered full production in November 2024.

In other highlights from the presentation:

• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has now crossed 60 million copies sold, further cementing its legacy as one of the most successful RPGs of all time.

• A Nintendo Switch 2 port of Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty is scheduled for release on June 5, 2025.

• A Mac version of Cyberpunk 2077 is currently in development.

Additionally, CD Projekt’s Boston team is also working on a Witcher spinoff codenamed “Sirius”, while external studio Fool’s Theory continues development on a full remake of the original Witcher using Unreal Engine 5.