Mike Pondsmith, the creator of theCyberpunkseries, has revealed why he chose CD Projekt RED to be the developer ofCyberpunk 2077. The rights to the series had been offered to several different studios, said Pondsmith, but only CD Projekt RED was able to show him that it would do a good job.
Speaking toVideo Games Chronicle, Pondsmith said that CD Projekt RED is made up of “fans” of theCyberpunkseries who grew up playing the popularCyberpunk 2020board game. Pondsmith compared CD Projekt RED makingCyberpunk 2077to " a bunch of guys who watched theStar Warsmovies as kids and then got a chance to make aStar Warsgame," saying that the team would “do the best damn job they could.”
Pondsmith also said that CD Projekt RED is a team that “really cared” about theCyberpunkseries and that “the things that were important to us were important to them.” Several developers had wanted the rights to the series, but many of them only saw theBlade Runnerqualities and not the “weird, fun and dangerous, risky elements” such as how a lone gunner with an attitude likeplayer character Vcould “change the world.”
Cyberpunk 2077is still several months away from release and so it is difficult to gauge just how closely the game keeps to the board game created by Pondsmith. However, it does seem to be making all of the right noises. Fans have been very glad to see that rockstarJohnny Silverhandwill be in the game, as played by Keanu Reeves. The character of Silverhand isn’t shy about his dislike of Night City’s corporations and from the short amount seen of the character, that feeling will be in the game.
In theCyberpunk 2077gameplay revealfrom Gamescom 2018, CD Projekt RED did show glimpses of V’s attitude and how the player character can try to lie their way through quests. There have also been a few teases of V’s quips and their raucous personality and it seems that keeping that was important to CD Projekt RED and Pondsmith.
CD Projekt RED has been working onCyberpunk 2077for several years and so fans of the developer and the board game will be hoping that it can pull this off. There’s so much of the game that hasn’t been confirmed yet, but Pondsmith’s support for the developer speaks loudly.
Cyberpunk 2077will be released on August 10, 2025 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
