CD Projekt Red may have heard years of “let us play more of V’s rise” feedback, but the director on the next Cyberpunk game isn’t convinced that stretching Cyberpunk 2077’s opening would have been a good idea. Speaking about the structure of 2077’s story, the Cyberpunk 2 director argued that expanding the pre-heist climb through Night City’s mercenary ranks risks turning the experience into something “meandering” and “unfocused.”

Cyberpunk 2077’s plot famously snaps into high gear after the heist goes sideways, leaving V with an existential countdown and Johnny Silverhand—Keanu Reeves’ digital ghost—rattling around in their head. It’s a sharp inciting incident that gives the main story urgency, even if players can immediately ignore that urgency to take on gigs, explore, and generally cause chaos across the city.

### Why CDPR Doesn’t Want a Longer Lead-In
The core of the director’s point is pacing: the heist isn’t just a mission, it’s the narrative fulcrum that redefines V’s motivations and the stakes of the entire game. Spending significantly more time in the “career build-up” phase before that moment could dilute the momentum and blur what the story is actually about—especially in an open-world RPG already packed with side content competing for attention.

That tension between urgent main plots and sprawling side activities is a familiar open-world problem, and Cyberpunk 2077 has been a poster child for it. CD Projekt Red has even poked fun at the contradiction themselves, acknowledging how players might spend dozens of hours street racing or doing contracts while the main character is supposedly in a race against time.

### What This Could Mean for Cyberpunk 2
While CDPR hasn’t laid out story details for the sequel (codenamed Project Orion), the comment suggests the studio is prioritizing a cleaner narrative spine—one that can coexist with freedom without letting the central arc get lost. If Cyberpunk 2 follows that philosophy, players should expect an opening designed to get the plot moving sooner, with progression and “rise through the ranks” elements likely delivered through side arcs, faction content, or systems rather than a prolonged prologue.

From a player perspective, this matters because it hints at CDPR learning from 2077’s strongest storytelling beats: when the game commits to a clear premise, it hits harder. For the broader market, it’s another sign that big-budget RPGs are increasingly wrestling with scope discipline—choosing tighter narrative structure over endlessly expandable introductions that can slow the hook.

Source: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/extending-cyberpunk-2077s-pre-heist-rise-through-the-ranks-would-risk-a-meandering-unfocused-experience-argues-cyberpunk-2-director |