Cyberpunk 2077: Orion — Everything We Know

It’s been something of a fairytale ending for the folks over at CD Projekt Red, thanks to their commitment to escalating Cyberpunk 2077 from a relatively mediocre, glitch-riddled car crash to a fully functional, award-winning marvel. And what better way to celebrate the recent turn of events than to follow up with another game? Well, as it turns out, there is, in fact, a sequel on the horizon, and it’s going to take the franchise even further and “continue harnessing the potential of this dark future universe.” That’s Cyberpunk 2077: Orion, in a nutshell, and we’re all for it.

As it stands, we don’t actually know a great deal about the so-called Codename Orion, other than the fact that it’s in pre-production, and that it’ll feature one or two new components. Not quite satisfied? Here’s everything else we can currently tell you about CD Projekt Red’s next Cyberpunk 2077 installment.

What Is Cyberpunk 2077: Orion?

Cyberpunk 2077: Orion (a placeholder, not a definite title, unfortunately) is an upcoming first-person action-RPG, and a follow-up to 2020’s Cyberpunk 2077. Rumor has it, the next leg of the journey will feature several new components, including an online multiplayer mode, as well as a bigger, bulkier, and vastly more complex locale to scoot around in.

The bad news is, the team behind the sequel did point out back in late 2022 that the game was only in its pre-production phase, which means it probably won’t be arriving on consoles and PC for several years yet. Moreover, CD Projekt Red is also working on a new extension for The Witcher series, meaning, if we had to hazard a guess on when it’ll come out, we’d have to favor a 2026 launch, at the earliest. But more on that shortly.

Story

If you’ve already romped through both Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty, then you’ll no doubt be aware that the sequel, Orion, will probably feature an entirely new cast and setting. Without giving away one too many spoilers, Phantom Liberty made it out that, if a sequel was to happen, then it’d tie in a few new heroes, antiheroes, and perhaps even an entirely new decade, too. Therefore, we can’t exactly confirm that the upcoming sequel will be a direct continuation, but rather a whole other chapter in a new book altogether.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much to go on in terms of potential plot points or character arcs. Will V and Johnny Silverhand make an appearance? Who knows. Either way, it seems the next portion of the journey will roll out the cybernetic carpet for something fresh and unseen, so if you did have high hopes of returning to V’s boots for a third round, then you might want to consider replaying Cyberpunk 2077.

Gameplay

Gameplay-wise, there isn’t a whole lot to write home about. Disappointingly, there isn’t all that much to look at, let alone experience firsthand. Not that this comes as much of a surprise, mind you, what with the game still being in its conceptual stages of development. Having said that, if the sequel is anything even remotely like the original, then we can expect a mixture of first-person and third-person elements, as well as all the signature trimmings that fleshed out the first segment.

There is one thing that caught our interest a little ways back: CD Projekt Red announced back in 2022 that it was working on bringing multiplayer to several of its upcoming titles. And while the team didn’t specify which of the upcoming titles it was bringing the co-op mode too, it was strongly believed amongst fans that it was to be Cyberpunk 2077: Orion. Until the devs shed light on the matter in a later update, however, we won’t really know for certain.

Development

Orion is a codename for our next Cyberpunk game, which will take the Cyberpunk franchise further and continue harnessing the potential of this dark future universe. pic.twitter.com/JoVbCf6jYZ

— CD PROJEKT RED (@CDPROJEKTRED) October 4, 2022

News of the sequel first came about back in October 2022, at which point CD Projekt Red not only teased the “conceptual designs” for Cyberpunk 2077: Orion, but also the codenames for four other active titles, including the recently-released Phantom Liberty DLC, as well as three new chapters for The Witcher. Suffice to say, the folks behind the award-winning sagas clearly have their hands full.

To tackle the sheer volume of work that the team has on its plate, CD Projekt Red has made the decision to open a new studio in North America. Collectively, the teams based in the States, Canada, and Poland will work to develop Orion—an operation that, for the most part, will be divided between Poland and North America.

Trailer

There isn’t any footage of Cyberpunk 2077: Orion just yet, so it’s better to not get your hopes up. Having said that, if we’re lucky, then we’ll have some form of teaser trailer or even a slew of in-game alpha screenshots to share at some point in 2024. It’s wishful thinking at this point — but it’s also the only thing we can really do until CD Projekt Red makes the conscious decision to unravel the spool. Sorry, folks.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

At the time of writing, there is no concrete release date for Cyberpunk 2077: Orion. That said, if we had to place a wager on it, then we’d have to favor a 2026 launch window at the very earliest. And even then, with the next chapter in The Witcher series also in active development, it could mean that Orion doesn’t see the light of day for four, maybe even five years. Only time will tell on that one, I’m afraid.

Interested in staying up to date with the Cyberpunk 2077 saga? If so, then be sure to check in with the team over at CD Projekt Red for all the latest pre-launch updates via their official social handle here. If anything does change ahead of its debut, then we’ll be sure to fill you in on all the key details right here on gaming.net.

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Cyberpunk 2077: Orion when it arrives on its chosen platforms? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.