Key Takeaways
1. CD Projekt RED has announced that Cyberpunk 2, or Project Orion, is in the pre-production stage as of May 28, 2025.
2. Project Orion is being developed by a new studio in Boston, in collaboration with the main team in Poland.
3. Key elements such as storylines and gameplay systems are currently being developed in pre-production.
4. Cyberpunk 2 will utilize Unreal Engine 5 instead of the company’s REDengine.
5. A full launch for Cyberpunk 2 is expected to be several years away, with more updates to come.
CD Projekt RED has formally announced that Cyberpunk 2, known by its code name Project Orion, has started the pre-production stage. This news was communicated through a social media update from the company’s investor relations account on May 28, 2025.
Project Details
Originally revealed in October 2022, Project Orion is part of a larger development plan that features new titles for both the Cyberpunk and Witcher series. As previously indicated by CD Projekt RED, Cyberpunk 2 is being crafted by a new studio based in Boston, which will collaborate with the main team in Poland. The company has previously stated that this sequel aims to “demonstrate the full power and potential” of the Cyberpunk intellectual property.
Pre-Production Insights
Although there is no set release date at this point, the start of pre-production signifies that key aspects of the game, such as storylines, gameplay systems, and world-building, are beginning to be developed. Pre-production typically involves activities like testing game mechanics, finalizing artistic direction, among other tasks.
Cyberpunk 2077, the initial game in the series, was released in December 2020, achieving high sales but receiving a mixed response due to significant technical problems. Since then, the game has seen a variety of enhancements through updates and the Phantom Liberty expansion in 2023. You can find benchmarks for those improvements here.
Future Expectations
Even though Cyberpunk 2 is now in pre-production, a full launch is likely still a few years off. CD Projekt RED has confirmed that the game will be built using Unreal Engine 5, rather than their own REDengine. More updates can be anticipated as the development continues.
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