Like Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red has been very open about starting work on its sequel long before the game was ready. So much so that, according to analyst predictions, three years after its announcement, Cyberpunk 2 could still be five years away.
According to Noble Securities analyst Mateusz Krzanowski, it is. Speaking to Polish outlet strefainwestorow (thanks, VideoGamer), Chrzanowski explained why, despite being announced in 2022, their predictions have Cyberpunk 2 released in Q4 2030.
Putting multiplayer into a cyberpunk game is going to take time
While it hasn't been confirmed by CDPR yet, a job listing discovered earlier this year revealed that the studio was looking for someone to help integrate multiplayer systems into Project Orion, formerly Cyberpunk 2's internal codename. It is therefore believed that Cyberpunk 2 will have multiplayer elements, so Noble Securities' prediction of its release may be further away than we thought.
The report doesn't note when the Cyberpunk sequel was launched before the firm's analysts leaked about its potential multiplayer, but the addition of that extra work makes them think we'll finally be returning to Night City around the tenth anniversary of the first game's launch. Poetic if CDPR can do that, but not the goal is to force yourself to hit after the first game is pushed out as a result of a disastrous launch before it is ready.
We may be playing Cyberpunk 2 online, as CDPR is looking for a Lead Network Engineer
It looks like CDPR is trying to create an online mode for Cyberpunk again, after scrapping it from the first game.
It's almost all hands on deck for The Witcher's new trilogy
It's not just multiplayer that will keep CDPR developers in Cyberpunk 2 mines for half a decade or more. It has a renewed focus on the Witcher. The Witcher 3 is getting more paid DLC in 2026, more than 11 years after its launch, but the release of that DLC is expected to kick the marketing push for Witcher 4 up a gear.
The Witcher 4 is in strong enough shape to show us this. It doesn't have a release date, but there are plans to work on it when it's revealed within the CDPR offices that, if all goes according to plan, we'll be embarking on a Ciri-led Witcher adventure before the end of 2027.
CDPR also confirmed that they plan to release three Witcher games in six years, which means, if The Witcher 4 is released by 2027, we'll have three new Witcher games by 2033 in addition to the remake of the original. Quite a job, especially with a little Cyberpunk 2 keeping everyone busy while the Witcher is busy.
On the one hand, you can look at CDPR's workload and reminisce about how badly Cyberpunk's launch went, fearing that we may be cornering history repeating itself. On the other hand, no game in history has bounced back from defeat as well as Cyberpunk.
Cyberpunk 2077 has gone from one of the biggest disasters of the modern gaming era to a technological marvel. A measuring stick by which other ambitious Triple-A sports are measured. When the Switch 2 launched, Cyberpunk's ability to run smoothly on the new console proved it could handle anything. I hope CDPR has learned the right lessons from its past. Not that it can release an unfinished game and get away with it, but it has learned how to manage its development time better, and Cyberpunk 2 doesn't have to endure the same rocky start to life as its predecessor.
- issued
-
December 10, 2020
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood and gore, intense violence, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content, drug and alcohol use
