Cyberpunk 2077 sequel to stretch beyond Night City

It seems that the next game in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe will leave Night City behind and let us visit a brand new city, more specifically something Chicago-like. This was revealed by its creator Mike Pondsmith during the recent Digital Dragons event in Kraków, where he said that Project Orion will take place in a completely new city.

Pondsmith does seem to suggest that Night City will remain accessible, while also describing this additional location as a place where everything really went wrong. For those who go back to Cyberpunk 2077 and its expansion, there is actually a lot of advertising that mentions another city, and how there are plans for a future train connection.

In full, Pondsmith explains: "I spent a lot of time talking to one of the environment guys, and he was explaining how the new place in Orion, because there's another city we visit — I'm not telling you any more than that but there's another city we visit. And Night City is still there. But I remember looking at it and going, yeah I understand the feel you're going for this, and this really does work. And it doesn't feel like Blade Runner, it feels more like Chicago gone wrong. I said, 'Yeah, I can see this working."

Project Orion is being part-developed by CD Projekt RED's new studio in Boston and will use Unreal Engine 5, making for an extremely detailed game world. The very thought of it makes us giddy with joy, but the game is still in the very early stages of development and will be many years away.

What are your hopes for the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel?