Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel Features a Second City That’s Like “Chicago Gone Wrong,” Says Series Creator

If Night City wasn’t chaotic enough, get ready for “Chicago gone wrong.” That’s the way Mike Pondsmith, creator of the original Cyberpunk tabletop RPG, just described the second major city in CD Projekt’s upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 sequel—currently known by its codename, Project Orion. And honestly? That phrase alone already has our imaginations spiralling into neon-lit alleyways and crumbling skyscrapers.

Jacking in the Second City

Speaking at the Digital Dragons Conference in Krakow, Pondsmith—who’s still lurking around the halls of CD Projekt’s studio like a cool cyberpunk uncle—dropped the first juicy details we’ve had on Project Orion since its announcement. While he’s “not as directly involved” in the sequel as he was with Cyberpunk 2077, he confirmed two things:

1. Night City is still very much part of the game.
2. There’s a brand-new location, and it’s got serious Windy City vibes—but the kind that fell into a corporate hellscape and never looked back.

“It doesn’t feel like Blade Runner,” Pondsmith teased.
“It feels more like Chicago gone wrong.”

So what does “gone wrong” look like in Cyberpunk terms? Well, think less deep-fried food and jazz bars, more bio-plagues, corporate ruins, and mega-trains running through concrete husks of what used to be society

Why Chicago Makes a Ton of Cyberpunk Sense

Okay, Mike didn’t say the name “Chicago” outright—but fans on Reddit have been decoding this puzzle for months. And spoiler: the signs all point to Chi-Town. In the Cyberpunk universe, Chicago has already endured:

• A devastating economic collapse
• A corporate war (because, of course)
• And a nice little bio-plague for good measure

As if that wasn’t enough, the Phantom Liberty expansion of Cyberpunk 2077 features an ending where the Transcontinental Maglev Network—yep, a massive train system—finally links Night City to Chicago. So yes, the infrastructure’s in place for a seamless trip from techno-west to dystopia-central. Which means if Project Orion is pulling players between two cities, Night City and a broken-down, brutalised Cyber-Chicago would make a perfect pair: the flash of neon next to the cold steel of decay.

What’s Actually Confirmed?

Let’s be real—not much. Project Orion is still in pre-production, and CD Projekt Red is busy building The Witcher 4 first. So don’t expect the game to drop until sometime after Geralt hangs up his silver sword again. Still, from what Pondsmith has said (and leaked), here’s what we’ve got:

• Night City is back — but it won’t be the only playable location.
• A second city is involved — one that carries the feel of Chicago, but darker.
• Pondsmith has seen the environment builds — and gave them a thumbs up.
• Project Orion is being developed by CDPR’s Boston and Vancouver teams — a North American dream team, perfect for building a U.S.-inspired hellhole.

We don’t know who we’ll play as, when it takes place, or how it connects to V or Dogtown or any of the dozen endings from Phantom Liberty. But the seeds of something sprawling, dangerous, and uniquely American are already planted.

What “Gone Wrong” Might Look Like in Cyberpunk 2

While Night City oozes style, Chicago gone wrong implies something more brutal, maybe even more grounded. Less neon billboards and synth beats, more:

• Surveillance towers and propaganda loudspeakers
• Abandoned industrial zones run by gangs or rogue AI
• Flooded subway tunnels turned into data smuggling routes
• “Class war but with hacking” energy
• And possibly, yes, cold wind blowing through high-rises full of secrets

Basically, imagine Watch Dogs but then slam it through a blender with Deus Ex and Fallout, and you might just land on the vibe Mike’s hinting at.