The director leading CD Projekt Red’s next Cyberpunk game has shut down requests to expand Cyberpunk 2077‘s opening act. His reasoning? It would kill the story’s momentum.
In defending the original game’s brisk prologue pacing, he used a Star Wars analogy that cuts straight to the point. Extending the early-game setup would be like demanding more Tatooine time watching “farmer Luke” before the story moves to its actual inciting incident. The comparison makes CDPR’s storytelling philosophy crystal clear: get players to the real narrative hook fast, don’t meander in the setup.
The statement addresses years of player feedback about Cyberpunk 2077‘s compressed opening. After following one of three life path introductions, Nomad, Streetkid, or Corpo, players get a montage that time-skips through V and Jackie Welles building their mercenary careers. Then the main plot kicks in.
Many players wanted that montage turned into playable missions. They argued the game rushes through building a relationship with Jackie before his role in the story becomes critical. Others felt life paths needed more distinct questlines instead of quickly converging into the shared main narrative.
CDPR’s position is that prolonging that phase would create a pacing problem. Open-world RPGs can afford slower builds than two-hour films, but the director’s stance suggests the team sees extended “rise from nobody” content as kind of dull compared to the central conflict that defines V’s journey.
The philosophy matters because Project Orion, Cyberpunk‘s sequel currently in early development, will likely follow similar narrative principles. Don’t expect a lengthy origin story and expect to hit the ground running.
Cyberpunk 2077 launched in December 2020 to mixed reception, with criticism focused on technical issues and cut content. The game found its footing after major updates and the Phantom Liberty expansion in September 2023. The sequel represents CDPR’s chance to apply lessons learned while doubling down on their core storytelling approach.
The Tatooine problem
The Star Wars comparison actually points to a basic tug-of-war in game design. Films need tight pacing because runtime is fixed. Games can hide slow-burn content in side quests while keeping the main story urgent.
But CDPR’s director seems to believe that approach dilutes focus. If the prologue is the main story, it needs to earn that mandatory playtime. And apparently, watching V climb the merc ladder doesn’t clear that bar.
