CD Projekt Red’s upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 seque may be very early in development, but the upcoming open-world RPG sequel appears to have some form of multiplayer component in the works. Currently without a release date, Cyberpunk 2 won’t launch until after The Witcher 4 which isn’t expected until 2027 at the earliest.
A new call for employees by CDPR calls specifically for a “Lead Network Engineer” that will work on the company’s upcoming sequel project. Shared on Twitter, CD Projekt’s job listing asks for a developer with past experience making multiplayer games.
“As a Lead Network Engineer, you and your team will play a pivotal role in designing and implementing the network architecture and online systems,” the job description reads. “You will lead and manage a team of talented engineers, working collaboratively to ensure seamless and robust online systems.”
The addition of some form of multiplayer game mode in Cyberpunk 2 isn’t too surprising. While the feature was eventually cancelled following the poor reception to the original game’s launch state, CD Projekt Red did initially plan for a standalone multiplayer game that was developed alongside the original.
Back in 2021, CDPR CEO Adam Kiciński teased that a multiplayer spin-off or game mode would release some day, although Cyberpunk 2 will be another single-player focused game for its main campaign. Additionally, the CEO wants to add some form of multiplayer functionality to every one of the studio’s franchises.
“Previously we hinted that our next triple-A would be a multiplayer Cyberpunk game, but we have decided to reconsider this now,” Kiciński said.
“Given our new more systematic and agile approach, instead of primarily focusing on one big online experience or game, we are focusing on bringing online into all of our franchises one day.”
Very little is known about Cyberpunk 2 at the time of writing, although it is known that players won’t just be exploring another incarnation of Night City. While the iconic location of the first game is set to return, players will also be able to travel to a brand-new location, described by series creator Mike Pondsmith as like “Chicago gone wrong”.
“I was wandering around talking to different departments and seeing what they had… I spent a lot of time talking to one of the environment guys, and he was explaining how the new place in Orion… because there’s another city we visit, and I’m not telling you anymore than that,” he started.
“I remember looking at [the new location] and going, ‘Yeah, I understand the feel that you’re going for, and this really does work. It doesn’t feel like Blade Runner, it feels more like Chicago gone wrong’. And I said, ‘Yeah, I can see this working.’”
