CDPR Canceled Cyberpunk 2077 2nd DLC for Project Orion

Like most RPG games, Cyberpunk 2077 features branching storylines and important decisions for the player to make. Depending on where the player decides to spend their time in Night City, they can obtain different endings depending on their actions in a given playthrough. Cyberpunk 2077 endings are very different from one another, but all of them conclude with the same bleak tone. While the fans were disappointed that Cyberpunk 2077 didn't get a happy ending, this out-of-the-box thinking could still work to benefit Cyberpunk 2077's eventual sequel, Project Orion.

Only one of the two planned expansions for Cyberpunk 2077 was ever released. While CDPR was supposed to be another DLC, there was a lot of confusion surrounding it. What happened to the second DLC, and what kind of plot did CD Projekt Red have planned before scrapping it?

If we go deeper, based on leaks, developer remarks, and educated guesswork, CD Projekt Red originally planned a second big expansion for Cyberpunk 2077 alongside Phantom Liberty, but they formally revealed in late 2022 that Phantom Liberty would be the sole DLC because Cyberpunk 2077 was moving to Unreal Engine 5 for its follow-up, dubbed Orion.

Furthermore, insider reports indicate that the second expansion was in pre-production but was quietly abandoned. So there are some hints about what they were planning; one of the most popular hypotheses is that the second DLC would have centered on the Blackwall and rogue AI. Phantom Liberty only scraped the surface of this concept, and it remains one of the most intriguing mysteries in the cyberpunk universe. The Blackwall is a digital barrier that separates humanity from the rogue AIs that live beyond.

The main game and Phantom Liberty DLC both suggest that these AI are more dangerous and possibly more intelligent than we think. One cut proposal proposes that gamers may have collaborated with or against Netwatch to strengthen or destroy the Blackwall, which may have radically changed the balance of power in Night City.

Some fans, however, feel the second DLC was intended to investigate Pacifica's hidden depths. The Voodoo Boys, who are preoccupied with cracking the Blackwall, could have played a significant role. Perhaps we were supposed to see a full-fledged war between AI and megacorporations, which CD Projekt Red never got to tell.

Another idea proposes that the second DLC would have focused on the Nomads and the Crystal Palace. This concept is based on historical data mined files that indicate new vehicles originating from Night City locales and references to space travel. If this is accurate, the expansion may have allowed us to join a Nomad mission outside of Night City, possibly even to the Crystal Palace, a vast space station controlled by the wealthy and powerful.

Although we know from Phantom Liberty that orbital strikes occur, what if we were supposed to participate in a theft or sabotage operation beyond Earth's atmosphere? This would have been an astounding jump for Cyberpunk, moving us from the streets to the stars, but CD Projekt Red may have canceled it due to technical restrictions or to save it for a future game.

However, the Crystal Palace and its hidden conclusion are already heavily referenced in Cyberpunk 2077. If V pursues the solo road, they will climb to prominence as the new fixer in charge of the afterlife, becoming one of Night City's most prominent figures. That road leads to a final, high-stakes job: a heist at the Crystal Palace.

The reasons for cancelling the DLC appear to be a combination of time, money, and Cyberpunk's rocky history. Following Cyberpunk 2077's terrible launch, CD Projekt Red spent two years repairing the game, which meant less time to construct expansions. By the time Phantom Liberty was completed, the studio had already switched its attention to the next Cyberpunk game, so they opted to cut their losses and move on.

There's also the fact that Cyberpunk 2077 uses the RED engine, which CDPR is ditching. Creating another expansion would have required more time spent improving an engine that they want to leave behind. It made more business sense to start from scratch with Cyberpunk Orion. Even though we won't get the second DLC, Cyberpunk isn't dead. CD Projekt Red is already developing Project Orion, the full sequel.

Perhaps they will revive these forgotten concepts in the upcoming game. However, one thing is certain: the world of cyberpunk still has many stories to tell, and CDPR is probably going to explore them through Project Orion.