The sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 is taking players beyond Night City. That’s now confirmed – thanks to an unintentional leak caused by a bug. Mike Pondsmith, the creator of the original 1988 tabletop RPG, let it slip in a new interview.

CD Projekt RED has plenty of irons in the fire. Alongside The Witcher 4, Project Sirius, and Project Hadar, the Polish studio is also working on the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, currently operating under the codename Project Orion. Until now, we knew next to nothing about it – but it’s now confirmed: players will get to explore a brand-new city. And bizarrely enough, we learned this not through a press release, but thanks to a bugged YouTube interview – featuring none other than Mike Pondsmith himself, the man who created the Cyberpunk universe.

In an interview with GameStar during the Digital Dragons 2025 event, Pondsmith revealed more than he likely intended. Around the 3:45:55 mark, he casually mentioned that he’s been closely collaborating with CD Projekt RED’s developers. “I spent a lot of time talking to one of the environment artists. And he explained to me that the new Orion area… because there’s another city that we visit… I won’t say more, but there’s another city. Night City is still there.”

“Feels Like a Broken Chicago” – A Gritty New Atmosphere for the Cyberpunk Sequel

Pondsmith also revealed that he’s been giving feedback on the new cyberware systems developers are cooking up. Later in the same interview, he returned to describing the feel of the new setting: “I understand the feeling you’re going for, and it works. It doesn’t feel like Blade Runner – it feels more like a broken Chicago.” That doesn’t necessarily mean the sequel will be set in Chicago, but rather that the team is aiming for a gritty, decayed metropolis vibe that captures that same essence.

Inadvertently, Pondsmith has now revealed a crucial piece of Project Orion’s setting. CD Projekt RED has yet to comment, and they likely won’t until they officially kick off the next game’s marketing. But even this small leak is already enough to send Cyberpunk fans into speculative overdrive.

Source: 3djuegos