CD Projekt Red's two biggest franchises are hitting a lull as both are in the gap created by development cycles. Although it's anticipated that Cyberpunk 2077 will see a bump in content as the Phantom Liberty DLC is set to release sometime in 2023, no concrete date has been announced for it. CD Projekt Red has confirmed that the next game in The Witcher series is in development, and the company has stated that its Project Orion is a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, though it is unclear which of these projects will be released first.
Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3 had drastically different reactions at launch, with the former being criticized for its bugs and performance issues and the latter becoming the best-selling title in the series. While Cyberpunk 2077 has been redeemed in the years since its original launch in 2020, its rough start could end up affecting the development timeline of its sequel. Coupled with the Phantom Liberty DLC being still in development, the release window for Cyberpunk 2077's sequel is a lot less clear than The Witcher 4.
When Could Cyberpunk 2077's Sequel Release?
Despite a rocky launch, Cyberpunk 2077 has gone on to become a solid RPG experience, spawning spin-off material like the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners animated series, as well as a full DLC expansion. With this groundwork laid, it's clear CD Projekt Red is committed to continuing to tell stories in this universe and expanding upon it further with a sequel. However, nearly three years after the launch of the base game and the DLC has yet to be released, which could be a sign of internal issues that could affect the development cycle of Cyberpunk 2077's sequel.
Cyberpunk 2077 itself is no stranger to long development timelines as consulting for the project began as early as 2012 with development entering pre-production in 2016 following the release of The Witcher 3. Although a 4-year development cycle is fairly standard, development on the Phantom Liberty DLC well into 2023 means the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 is likely, at best, just starting pre-production. A job listing on CD Projekt Red's website supports this notion, but it means the game is likely at the start of its development cycle, and if the timeline for the previous game is anything to go by, probably won't see a release until 2027.
When Could The Witcher 4 Release?
Information on the next Witcher game is a bit more concrete, although it still doesn't paint a full picture of when the game could release. CD Projekt Red's Project Polaris was recently confirmed to be the next Witcher game and the start of a new multi-entry saga in The Witcher universe. However, the game has not been confirmed to be titled The Witcher 4 and will seemingly move away from Geralt's story, taking players to the School of the Lynx based on unofficial fan stories set in the same world as the games.
CD Projekt Red has confirmed the game is currently in pre-production as of late 2022, likely meaning it has a head start over Cyberpunk 2077's sequel. This new Witcher game is also confirmed to be utilizing Unreal Engine 5 for development rather than the company's proprietary engine, and as a result, could see delayed development time as the studio adapts to the new technology.
President of CD Projekt Red Adam Kicinski has also stated that The Witcher 4 is at least 3 years away from release as of its 2022 development confirmation, meaning the earliest fans should expect to play it is 2025. While both The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2077's sequel are still a long way off, it's likely that The Witcher's next entry will release before the next Cyberpunk 2077 game given the more concrete development information that has been shared about it.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.