CD Projekt Red’s New Game: Codename: Orion - Is Cyberpunk 2077 Getting a Sequel?!

With CD Projekt Red’s new DLC for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty being an absolute smash hit amongst gamers (myself included) and the base game selling well over 25 MILLION COPIES over the course of 4 years, it’s safe to say that CDPR has redeemed themselves ten times over for the debacle they had when releasing the game back in December of 2020. But now there is a new project on the horizon: Codename: Orion. People online are already calling it the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, but can you be sure that this is a sequel or are we looking at a new IP in the works at CD Projekt Red?

Let’s get into the weeds!

Now, as any good game developer should, the most important aspect of any intellectual property when it comes to even thinking about creating a sequel is whether or not the investors find the IP valuable enough to invest more money into that specific IP. Why is this important? In CD Projekt Red’s example, they currently have two outstanding IPs: the Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077, which is only on its first game. When it comes to value for a video game, so much of its value rides on the coattails of volume: how many games were sold over the course of its lifetime.

The Witcher 3 came out in 2015 and, according to Forbes (check the link here), is the 3rd best-selling game in history with 50 million copies sold. But let’s do some simple math: 50 million copies over the course of 9 years is 5.55 million copies, on average, per year. Cyberpunk 2077, by contrast, has averaged 6.25 million copies sold every year. Now a 12.61% volume increase may seem like a mild increase between games, but how about price?

In terms of price, you can find the PS5 version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition for about $23 USD on Amazon with free shipping while Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition, at its lowest price, will only go down to $59.99. That is a staggering 161% increase in price between games and, incredibly, Cyberpunk is still selling units year-over-year, hand over fists.

What does that say to investors? They’re sitting on top of a goldmine. Case and point.

And, with the new DLC topping the charts at the end of this past year, there’s no wonder that rumors are now spreading about a new Cyberpunk 2077 in development over at CD Projekt Red. But the big question is: is this value enough to get investors excited about a new Cyberpunk or are we hearing the rumblings of a new IP in the works? Let me know your thoughts!