CD Projekt RED outlined a lot of future titles this week, from a brand new Witcher trilogy starting with Project Polaris to a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel. The latter is codenamed Project Orion and is interesting in that it will be developed in CD Projekt RED North America. The core development team, including lead quest designer Paweł Sasko, will move to Boston to establish the studio and work on the title.
In terms of how many developers the title needs, CD Projekt Red CFO Piotr Nielubowicz felt that 350 to 500 developers were a safe estimate. Speaking in a recent investor call (transcription via IGN), he said, “The North American studio will consist of teams working from Boston and the team working from Vancouver. The project will also be supported by developers from Poland.
“As for the total headcount required for such a production, I believe the best reference is Cyberpunk 2077, our most recent release and a good reference point when thinking about development headcount and future projects of this scale. I think it’s safe to assume that between 350 and 500 developers should be required.”
Whatever the total size of the team ends up being, CD Projekt RED is advertising numerous positions for the same on its website. No release window is in place for Orion, so it’s likely a long way off.
In the meantime, CD Projekt RED is currently working on Cyberpunk 2077’s first and only paid expansion Phantom Liberty. It’s in the final production phase, so a release date in the first half of 2023 is possible. Further updates, including a revamp of the police system and melee combat, are also planned though these will be exclusive to current-gen platforms.
