CD Projekt Red has quite a bit in store for fans of Cyberpunk 2077, but they might have to wait a bit. While the developer is busy creating the DLC expansion Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, it has also confirmed that a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel is on the horizon. CD Projekt Red is rumored to be focused on releasing new installments of The Witcher franchise, giving Cyberpunk fans time to play Phantom Liberty and predict how the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel -- codenamed "Project Orion" -- will pan out.
Although Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is not out yet, it is top of the list for what to expect from CD Projekt Red in 2023. The DLC reportedly has the largest budget of any expansion made by the studio and is expected to expand the in-game world seen in Cyberpunk 2077. Phantom Liberty will again be centered around V and Johnny Silverhand, as they appear to tangle with the government of the New United States of America, according to the DLC's release trailer. With the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel confirmed and Phantom Liberty around the corner, it's time to consider what the future has in store for Night City.
The New United States Might Be In Another Civil War
Outside of Night City, there are more cities and settlements within The New United States (NUSA), but not all are on good terms with the country's larger government. Years before the game, the New United States were embroiled in the "Unification War," a conflict between the New United States and the Free States governed autonomously. While Cyberpunk 2077 takes place after the war ended, Cyberpunk lore hints at deteriorating relations between the two sides, possibly hinting at another war.
Given that the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty trailer involves V making a troublesome allegiance to The New United States government, the DLC could be the catalyst for a war that would play out in the sequel. Also, Night City appeared to have taken a neutral stance during the Unification War, despite being in California, a state half occupied by NUSA and half occupied by the Free States. This could hint at future gameplay, seeing the civil war flood Night City and create greater chaos.
The Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel Might Take Place Outside Night City
Players who sided with the Aldecaldos in the later half of Cyberpunk 2077 received an ending involving Panam Palmer and V escaping Night City limits for the desert beyond. While there are quite a few possible endings for Cyberpunk 2077, the Nomad ending would allow the sequel to take place in the Free States. With V's apparent allegiance to NUSA in Phantom Liberty, the next game might be from the perspective of a protagonist living in San Francisco, a central hub for the Free States.
Although very little is established canonically about the Free States in Cyberpunk 2077 lore, they seem to consist mainly of desert wastelands and small nomadic settlements outside more prominent cities. If the sequel takes place in the Free States, there's also a chance that the game could be set in the Western Corporate States like Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. This would bring an entirely new edge to the Cyberpunk franchise, as mega-corporations -- including the Nomad-run MetaCorp -- wholly run the Western Corporate States. The sequel might then center around a storyline pitting Nomads against mega-corporations.
V Will Likely Be Replaced In The Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel
Unlike The Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077 gives players almost complete freedom to customize protagonist V however they see fit. This gives CD Projekt Red carte blanche to create another protagonist that might be a better fit for the sequel. It's likely that the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel will allude to the ending of V's story based on the canonical outcome of Phantom Liberty.
Hopefully, the upcoming sequel will allow players to create a completely customizable protagonist and pursue multiple main storylines. This narrative system would align with the expansive growth of the game world, as alluded to by CD Projekt Red and its plans for growth to accommodate the Cyberpunk sequel. It would make sense for a new protagonist to be a Night City exile, a Nomad Free States supporter, or a new arrival in the New United States of America from a different country entirely.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.