It’s been a good run, but it’s time to admit that the sun is setting on Night City… at least in its current form. With No Man’s Sky up there, few expected Cyberpunk 2077 to turn things around as much as it has. It was touch and go for a while, but we have to admit that CD Projekt Red did a good job.
Possibly a victim of its past success, there were high hopes that the developer behind The Witcher could deliver something on par with the beloved Wild Hunt. Unfortunately, Cyberpunk 2077 was not helped by numerous delays and angry fans when it was released in a somewhat unfinished state.
SPOILER WARNING
This article contains spoilers for the ending of Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty DLC.
Cyberpunk 2077 players believe that its sequel was teased in Phantom Liberty.
Flash forward to 2023, and it’s a different story. Fixing glitches and bugs, delivering a next generation upgrade, and now a DLC, this is finally the game that could have been. While we once expected tons of DLC to keep us playing as V for years to come, those hopes have been dashed.
CDPR recently confirmed that the Cyberpunk 2.0 update and the Phantom Liberty DLC will be the last major updates before 2077 moves on with the sequel. The core of Phantom Liberty involves the inclusion of Blackwall and its AI software, a perfect theme for today’s concerns about rogue tech.
Games Radar L3tAerithLivePls points to a Reddit thread, which highlights the Songbird containing advanced cyberware. There is an interesting line of dialogue that says, “Fortunately, your reality technology is too primitive to allow the floodgates to open. In limiting you, it limits them, keeps them out of control. It won’t work though.“
This means that the AI ​​is being kept out of control because Night City’s tech isn’t advanced enough. If it doesn’t trigger a time jump, nothing does. Someone added “They’ve been hinting or teasing the possibility of a wild AI apocolypse since release.“
One fan said, “Yes, she seems to be implying that if the cyberware becomes too advanced (ie Songbird), the Blackwall-AI will be able to possess people as demons. Definitely a setup for Cyberpunk 2088 or something“
Another concluded, “Johnny’s story is also complete now. Along with how they handled a new major actor joining the cast (Idris Elba as Solomon Reid), I highly Excited to see what new characters we’ll meet in the sequel.“
What do we know about the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel?
Other than the fact that the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 is codenamed Project Orion, there isn’t much else. Judging by the above tease, we imagine it hasn’t been given a full name as it will have another date in the title and confirm the new year. Something like Cyberpunk 2088 would give the rogue AI plenty of time to evolve.
Elsewhere, we’ll likely see more of the mysterious Mr. Blue Eyes NPC. During Phantom Liberty’s quest for The Killing Moon, V will be given the objective to “take the elevator to the roof”. On the observation deck, if you’re wearing the right cyberwear you’ll be able to scan Mr. Blue Eyes.
After CDPR polishes the next Witcher entry, production is expected to begin on the next game, with the team moving to the US to focus their efforts. Phantom Liberty Game director Gabe Amatangelo is leading Project Orion, and if this DLC is anything like it, we should be in safe hands.