Interview: CD Projekt RED Has Learned Its Lessons for the Next Cyberpunk

Key insights

7 takeaways

01
CD Projekt RED’s development of the 'Phantom Liberty' expansion cost $63 million and utilized approximately 400 in-house developers, serving as a blueprint for the studio's future production processes.
02
Game director Gabe Amatangelo attributed the successful turnaround of 'Cyberpunk 2077' to a shift toward cross-disciplinary teams and increased developer autonomy, rather than top-down micromanagement.
03
Activision Quality Assurance United, a union of 600 game testers across California, Minnesota, and Texas, has been officially recognized by Microsoft, marking the largest game worker union in the U.S.
04
Sony-backed studio Deviation Games has shut down operations, ending its development of a major, original title announced in 2021.
05
Nintendo has scheduled 'Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door' and 'Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD' for release on May 23 and June 27, 2024, respectively, while the long-awaited 'Metroid Prime 4' remains without a release date.
06
A sequel to 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' is officially slated for theatrical release on April 3, 2026.
07
SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator estimates a 50% or higher probability of a strike by video game voice actors within the next 4–6 weeks due to ongoing concerns regarding artificial intelligence.

Summary

CD Projekt RED is applying the operational lessons learned from the development of the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty expansion to its upcoming sequel. Following the 2020 launch of the base game, which was marred by technical issues and a subsequent removal from the PlayStation store, the studio successfully rehabilitated the title through the 2.0 update and the Phantom Liberty expansion. Game director Gabe Amatangelo attributes this turnaround to a shift in team composition, improved internal trust, and a more collaborative, cross-disciplinary development structure that prioritizes creative freedom over rigid oversight.

The development of the expansion, which cost approximately $63 million and involved roughly 400 in-house developers, served as a blueprint for future projects. By treating the expansion as a sequel, the team focused on refining core systems—such as AI and police mechanics—to ensure better integration across the open world. Furthermore, the studio is addressing historical concerns regarding labor practices by attempting to balance workloads, offsetting periods of high intensity with shorter work weeks.

To support the development of the next Cyberpunk entry, the company has established a new studio in Boston. This geographic expansion is designed to tap into North American talent while maintaining operational alignment with the Warsaw headquarters. The studio has already begun recruiting industry veterans from major firms like Ubisoft, Amazon, and BioWare. While CD Projekt RED has officially concluded major updates for Cyberpunk 2077, the team continues to integrate minor, low-risk improvements as bandwidth allows, signaling a transition toward the next phase of the franchise.