Cyperpunk 2 goes beyond Night City to a new location that “feels more like Chicago gone wrong,” according to the creator of the original tabletop RPG

Cyberpunk 2 – presently only officially recognized by the codename Project Orion – was officially announced quite some time ago in 2022, although the developers at CD Projekt Red have been rather reserved about disclosing any information regarding the new game in the past few years. However, Mike Pondsmith, the originator of the original tabletop RPG that inspired the games, has just revealed several new insights about the setting of Project Orion.

During a discussion showcased at the Digital Dragons conference earlier today, Pondsmith mentioned he’s “not as engaged directly” with Project Orion as he was with Cyberpunk 2077, but he also noted that he recently met with the developers at CDPR. “I was strolling around conversing with various departments and observing what they were developing,” Pondsmith stated, sharing his thoughts on aspects including new cyberware.

“I dedicated a significant amount of time discussing with one of the environment designers,” Pondsmith continued. “He was clarifying how the new location in Orion is structured, since there’s another city we explore – I’m not sharing any more than that, but there’s indeed another city we will visit.”

You can observe this moment for yourself at the 3:45:47 mark in the video above, and the slight pause Pondsmith takes really gives the impression that he has disclosed more about the game than intended. Still, he proceeded to share a few additional insights.

“Night City is still present,” Pondsmith remarked. “But I recollect looking at it and thinking ‘yeah, I grasp the vibe you’re aiming for with this, and this genuinely works.’ It doesn’t resemble Blade Runner. It seems more like Chicago in disarray. I said ‘yeah, I can envision this functioning.’”

Speculations and fan theories have lingered for years suggesting that the Cyberpunk sequel may take place in Chicago, but it increasingly appears certain that even if the game doesn’t reach the Windy City itself, it is heading to a very analogous location.

Here are all the forthcoming CD Projekt Red titles you ought to be aware of.