Cyberpunk 2077 started as a dumpster fire. Now, CDPR's new Boston studio is using a genius strategy to save the sequel.
To say that the history of Cyberpunk 2077 was turbulent would be an understatement: the launch was a train wreck, console-versions were half-baked at best, and bugs pestered gamers long after its release. 2023's Phantom Liberty expansion turned things around completely by delivering a mature spy-thriller.
The creators have now openly stated that this turnaround was owed to a new team structure - one that will also shape the development cycle of Cyberpunk 2.
Scaling Up for Cyberpunk 2
The sheer scale of Project Orion, commonly referred to as Cyberpunk 2, has created massive anticipation. The popular Twitch streamer LegacyKillaHD, who also goes by his first name Michael, quickly announced his excitement about the project's ambitious scale. While early reports of 180 developers initially sparked buzz online, the North American hub has already expanded well beyond that, surpassing 275 developers across its Boston and Vancouver locations as CD Projekt Red aggressively scales up production.
Interviews with the game's directors have revealed that there is not only a large number of developers at work, but that they are also structured efficiently. Both directors admitted that Cyberpunk 2077 initially fell flat because teams were working in silos - each division did its part, but they did not communicate with one another on a regular basis. As a result, the game’s core mechanics didn't mesh, making the final experience feel incredibly disjointed.
In order to avoid repeating those mistakes, the team implemented a new method that has served them well while developing Phantom Liberty: cross-functional "pods" that focus entirely on the player experience. Each pod contains members from different divisions, such as design, QA, and art, so that there is a constant exchange of ideas.
Associate game director Paweł Sasko emphasizes that this new approach relies on teams critically engaging with, and even deconstructing, each other's ideas to build a better final product. This philosophy of open collaboration matches the studio's physical shift to the Boston area. By operating directly out of the United States, CD Projekt Red is building a team that can challenge assumptions and bring a genuinely authentic North American perspective to the game’s dystopian setting.
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