It looks like CD Projekt Red is on the move yet again. After the success of Witcher 3, and the extremely tumultuous but ultimately positively received Cyberpunk 2077 (thanks in large part to the critically acclaimed Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime that aired on Netflix) it looks like CDPR is finally ready to start moving forward in the nightmarish dystopian setting of Cyberpunk, as it recently tweeted out a long list of open positions for their Project Orion follow up project for Cyberpunk 2077.
After the initial failure of Cyberpunk 2077’s launch, many fans of the setting and the cyberpunk genre in general were afraid that this was the end of the industry’s exploration of one of the richest and most poignant genres of today, but it looks like those fears can be set aside as this casting call as it were is ample evidence that CDPR is looking to keep moving forward in Cyberpunk creator Mike Pondsmith’s world.
No doubt that aforementioned terrible launch still lies in the back of CD Projekt Red’s mind with every move they make. It was truly a marvel to witness just how bad it was at the time of the game’s release in 2020. The stocks of CDPR began to tank, and it looked like the company itself, let alone the IP, were going to sink forever. It truly was an act of borderline divine intervention that Edgerunners was able to bring positive word of mouth to the property, and allowing scores of new players to experience the game in 2022, when Cyberpunk 2077 was in a much more stable state and with an anticipated expansion on the horizon.
It’s because of that awful launch that there can be no doubt CDPR are taking Project Orion very seriously, and looking to launch a game that is not only good from the narrative standpoint they’re known for, but one that is much more stable, and no doubt they’ll be very discerning with the new hires they’re looking for.