Project Orion: Release Date and Story in Theories

CDPR hasn’t spilled many beans about Project Orion other than the fact that the game has been under development. One of the aspects of Cyberpunk 2077 that made it so interesting was its story, which has warranted a now-in-production sequel. And that’s where everyone's pressing doubts about Project Orion is whether it will be a straight continuation of Cyberpunk 2077 or if it will transport players to a whole other location or even period inside the Cyberpunk universe.

At the end of Cyberpunk 2077, players were presented with various possible endings to V's journey, some of which left opportunities for further development while others felt like definitive farewells to the character. This presents a crucial question. Can CDPR build a straight sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, given the game's various diverging endings?

The solution might go in one of two directions. An altogether different protagonist set in the same time period but a few years away could be an option. Of course, David Martinez was the primary character of the anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which aired one year before Cyberpunk 2077's events. CDPR has the option of introducing a new character while maintaining Cyberpunk 2077's timeframe, city, and known faces. This would also allow them to acknowledge previous events while ensuring that players do not feel confined to a particular canonical ending.

Another method could be to choose a new time period or city entirely, which would be highly interesting for them to pursue. Project Orion could take place decades after Cyberpunk 2077, depicting how Night City has altered due to technical developments, corporate takeovers, or even societal collapse. Furthermore, the game might relocate to completely different metropolises or at least incorporate them within the Cyberpunk universe, such as Tokyo, London, or even the frequently referenced orbiting colonies.

However, we don't believe the game will totally shift to a new city because Night City is already fully fleshed out and only needs to be expanded upon. Although, there is a good probability that DLC or quests will lead us to various locations in the Cyberpunk world. Both of these approaches to the sequel present interesting potential for Cyberpunk.

A return to Night City may allow gamers to observe the long-term consequences of V's narrative and how the city has changed since then. Meanwhile, a new setting could broaden the Cyberpunk universe in ways we haven't seen before. And, of course, until CD Projekt Red provides more information about the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, the possibilities are unlimited.

However, when it comes to a release date, Project Orion is still in early development at CD Projekt Red. The studio has not yet offered a release date for Cyberpunk Orion, but based on previous development cycles, we can make some educated assumptions about when it might be released. Cyberpunk 2077 was announced in 2012 but did not arrive until 2020, an 8-year gap that included many delays from the studio.

Of course, this was the first installment in the series, so it could have taken longer to get things set up the first time. For this new plot, they had to create the setting of Night City from scratch. However, CD Projekt Red has subsequently grown as a studio, adding a larger development team and switching to Unreal Engine 5, which might streamline the process if it doesn't encounter as many challenges as the previous game's development.

If Project Orion follows the same path as the original game, it's unlikely that we'll see it anytime soon, especially given that The Witcher 4 was recently announced and will most likely be released in 2026 or 2027. As of today, we believe Cyberpunk 2077's sequel's earliest possible release date is 2029, which is certainly a highly ambitious estimate. The game is projected to be launched in the early 2030s.

It is true that CD Projekt Red has established new studios in Boston and Vancouver. This is their new North American office, and the studios are claimed to be completely dedicated to Cyberpunk Orion. However, given the lessons learned from Cyberpunk 2077's disastrous launch in 2020, CD Projekt Red must take its time polishing and refining Project Orion before it is released. Of course, the same applies to The Witcher 4. They can't afford another terrible release like Cyberpunk. Fans will have to be patient, but the reward might be a revolutionary Cyberpunk experience, unlike anything we've seen before.