A recent development grant application from CD Projekt Red sheds some light on what gamers might see from Cyberpunk 2077, and it sounds like the studio is aiming high.

The reputation that CD Projekt Red has managed to garner for itself in a relatively short span of time is nothing short of mind-boggling. The studio's highly praised release of The Witcher 3 catapulted it into the spotlight as one of the most talented teams in the industry, and gamers are now eager to devour the company's follow-up RPG as soon as they can. That RPG, a futuristic sci-fi game called Cyberpunk 2077, is still a long ways off, however.

In fact, it is easier to list the number of core gameplay elements fans don't know regarding Cyberpunk 2077 than to compile a list of features they are cognizant of. The game's development has essentially been shrouded in mystery since its initial reveal, but a recent development grant application from CD Projekt Red might have finally shed some light on the studio's goals for their next game. The developer has applied for several grants, including those related to "a complex technology for creating a huge living city" and "seamless multiplayer".

While these kinds of huge concepts can sound more like hyperbole than the reality of a game's development, it's important to note CD Projekt Red has already described Cyberpunk 2077 as more ambitious than The Witcher 3 - and Geralt's third series of adventures have been widely praised as one of the best RPGs ever created. The living city development grant appears to be for creating technology that will help create a huge open-world city that adapts and changes based on the decisions the player makes over the course of the game. That kind of tech isn't necessarily new, but it is exciting in the hands of CD Projekt Red if the grant is approved.

Much more interestingly, however, is the grant regarding a seamless multiplayer technology. The inclusion of multiplayer features would be a first for CD Projekt Red outside of its various smaller Witcher spin-offs, and it will be fascinating to see where the studio heads if multiplayer makes it into the final build of the game. It has been reported that Cyberpunk 2077's development team is bigger than The Witcher 3's, and it's possible that decision was made to facilitate a multiplayer feature.

The finished game might not have these features, but the development grant applications at least hints at what CD Projekt Red might be trying to accomplish with Cyberpunk 2077. Given how secretive the developer has been - the fact that Cyberpunk 2077 could have flying vehicles in it was the most information fans have really had up until this point - any news is good news. Hopefully the grant applications being filed means CD Projekt Red will have something to show gamers sooner rather than later.

Cyberpunk 2077 is currently in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Source: GamePressure (via VG 24/7)