While CD PROJEKT RED is focused mainly on The Witcher IV, work at the new Boston office is already ongoing on the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel codenamed Project Orion. As of July 2025, 116 developers were already on the project, which is currently in the pre-production phase. That number is expected to grow steadily, including an intriguing new position for Lead Network Engineer that already has fans guessing at potential online multiplayer modes. Here's the relevant excerpt from the job ad:
CD PROJEKT RED is currently seeking a Lead Network Engineer to join our team working on Cyberpunk 2, the next mainline Cyberpunk 2077 game. As a Lead Network Engineer, you and your team will play a pivotal role in designing and implementing the network architecture and online systems. You will lead and manage a team of talented engineers, working collaboratively to ensure seamless and robust online systems.
We are seeking a candidate with a blend of proven management experience and technical expertise in networking for games.
Daily Responsibilities
- Design, implement, and maintain scalable and efficient network architectures for online features.
- Ensure low-latency, high-performance online experiences for players.
- Lead your team to develop and optimize multiplayer systems, including matchmaking, and address challenges related to latency, bandwidth usage, and server performance.
Qualifications
Proven track record of leadership in a senior network engineering role
As our readers might recall, Cyberpunk 2077 was supposed to receive online multiplayer post-launch. However, just a few months after the game's December 2020 release, CD PROJEKT RED decided to reconsider its multiplayer strategy, effectively delaying it so that it might be applied to future projects instead. That made sense at the time, especially due to Cyberpunk 2077's launch issues, such as bugs and performance, particularly on consoles.
Now, the studio appears to believe it's time to go all-in for the sequel. We never really got any inkling as to how the multiplayer would work in the first game, but given the open world city setting, fans have speculated that it could play not too dissimilar to GTA Online, albeit with its own twists.
Recently, we learned that Keanu Reeves would love to return as Johnny Silverhand in the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel. Mike Pondsmith, creator of the fictional universe, also teased that there will be a second city in addition to Night City, and that it will feel like 'Chicago gone wrong'.
It's worth noting that Project Orion is at least four or five years away, if not more. Fans will have to brace for a long wait.
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