Cyberpunk 2 is Building a Full Multiplayer Mode After Cyberpunk 2077’s Rough Launch

CD Projekt Red appears to be moving forward with multiplayer for Cyberpunk 2, giving the sequel an online component that was originally planned for Cyberpunk 2077 before the studio had to abandon those plans. 

Recent hiring activity and statements from the company point toward a serious investment in online functionality, with the development team seemingly preparing the sequel for a much larger multiplayer experience. The exact format has not been revealed, but the available information suggests the project is more than a small co-op feature.

One of the clearest signs is a job listing for a lead network engineer at CD Projekt Red’s Boston studio, the main development hub for Cyberpunk 2, posted in September 2025. 

The position specifically involved building and maintaining network architecture for online features while also addressing matchmaking, latency, bandwidth usage, and server performance. That kind of hiring points toward the studio building the technical foundation for multiplayer rather than simply adding a basic online mode near the end of development.

Other hiring activity in Boston reinforces that direction. Around the same period, CD Projekt Red was reportedly looking for a lead producer, lead network engineer, lead AI engineer, and senior engine programmer for Cyberpunk 2. 

Bringing together specialists in network infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and engine technology suggests the team is preparing for systems that will require more complex back-end support. The source describes the situation as being more consistent with a persistent online world than a basic two-player or four-player co-op experience.

This is also not the first time CD Projekt Red has tried to bring multiplayer to Cyberpunk. The original Cyberpunk 2077 was supposed to receive online functionality after launch alongside multiple planned expansions, but the game's disastrous December 2020 release changed those plans. 

The studio later shifted its broader strategy toward online gameplay across more of its franchises. 

During an October 2021 strategy briefing, CD Projekt Red said it would bring online features to more of its games, acknowledging the long-term revenue potential of persistent online experiences. Cyberpunk 2077 also continued to bring in strong profits without a multiplayer component, making an online mode a tempting prospect to keep players engaged between major releases.

There was also a more direct hint in 2024, when co-CEO Michał Nowakowski said the studio was considering multiplayer for the next Cyberpunk game: But that consideration now appears to have shifted into active development, judging by the network-focused hiring seen in 2025. 

The obvious comparison is GTA Online, which has demonstrated how a large open-world game can support years of online content and revenue after its initial release. The source notes that GTA Online generated hundreds of millions of dollars annually at its peak and has continued operating for more than a decade. 

CD Projekt Red would not need to reach that level of success for Cyberpunk 2's multiplayer to have a major effect on the franchise, as even a fraction of that performance could provide a long-term revenue stream between major single-player releases.

Cyberpunk is one of the few franchises with the basic ingredients for this kind of online experience. Night City already provides a detailed open world, a recognizable setting, different activities, and systems that could potentially support multiple players. 

The source argues that this makes Cyberpunk a better fit for a persistent multiplayer world than The Witcher, although CD Projekt Red is also working with The Molasses Flood on a multiplayer Witcher project.

At the same time, it doesn’t look like multiplayer is overwhelming the single-player experience that made Cyberpunk 2077 a success. 

CD Projekt Red is still committed to narrative-driven RPGs, meaningful choices, character development, and immersive single-player campaigns. Cyberpunk 2 is still expected to be story-focused and single-player, with multiplayer as a separate slice of the overall experience.

Cyberpunk 2 could also follow the GTA 5 model, where the single-player campaign and online mode are separate experiences but share the same world and some of its underlying assets. The source speculates that the multiplayer portion may have its own progression, activities, and systems and could even become a standalone mode. 

The job postings also give us a glimpse of what CD Projekt Red might be working on. Possible features include matchmaking for co-op missions or competitive activities, persistent shared spaces, team-based missions, player-versus-player arenas, mercenary contracts, and progression separate from the single-player campaign. 

The emphasis on low latency, high performance, and scalable network architecture is particularly interesting because it suggests CD Projekt Red may be planning for more than a handful of players in a session. 

The source speculates about potentially having dozens of players sharing online spaces rather than limiting the experience to two- or four-player co-op. That would represent a much more ambitious approach and would explain why the studio is investing heavily in network engineering this early in development.

CD Projekt Red also has a different technical foundation this time. 

Cyberpunk 2 is being developed in Unreal Engine 5, which already provides established networking frameworks and extensive documentation instead of forcing the studio to build every major system from scratch. The Boston team has also been hiring experienced developers from major studios, including people who worked at Rockstar and Naughty Dog. 

The long pre-production period of the game may be especially useful for developing multiplayer. Cyberpunk 2 will likely remain in pre-production through at least 2026 and 2027, giving the team time to build out its online infrastructure alongside core game systems. 

CD Projekt Red also appears to have the financial resources to support that long development process. The company had about $385 million in cash on hand as of the third quarter of 2025, the source said, giving it room to invest in specialized developers, servers, and other infrastructure. 

That financial position could help the studio take its time rather than rushing the multiplayer component into Cyberpunk 2. It also gives CD Projekt Red more room to invest in the specialized talent and server infrastructure needed to build a stable online experience.

The studio is also developing multiplayer technology through The Witcher: Sirius, which The Molasses Flood is creating. That game has reportedly faced layoffs, design changes, and leadership departures, but it remains in development. 

If Sirius launches before Cyberpunk 2, CD Projekt Red could gain valuable experience operating an online game, including server management, matchmaking, progression, and live-service systems. That experience could help the studio avoid some of the same challenges with Cyberpunk 2.

That experience could become especially useful because Cyberpunk 2 is not expected to release until after 2030. 

By the time its multiplayer component is ready, CD Projekt Red could have already learned from another online project rather than attempting to solve every problem for the first time with Cyberpunk 2. The studio would then have more practical experience with the systems needed to maintain a persistent online game.

For now, the evidence points strongly toward multiplayer being part of Cyberpunk 2, but the exact scope remains unknown. Job listings have confirmed work on multiplayer systems, leadership comments, technical recruitment, Unreal Engine 5, and the game’s extended development time all suggest CD Projekt Red is taking online functionality seriously. 

A formal announcement will likely have to wait until the game gets closer to full production or its first major gameplay reveals. More details might be announced around 2027 or 2028, when CD Projekt Red is better suited to explain the structure of the mode and how it will work alongside the main campaign, the source says. 

Cyberpunk 2’s multiplayer plans are still a work in progress for now, but the studio’s hiring and development strategy make it clear that online gameplay is no longer just an abandoned idea from Cyberpunk 2077.