Tanner Linares
Cyberpunk 2077 has faced a tumultuous life, but since its 2020 release, it has managed to build a dedicated fanbase and massively improve its reputation. Despite that, the upcoming Phantom Liberty will apparently be the only one released for the game, with developer CD Projekt Red planning to move on to other projects rather than continue work on the popular RPG. Many fans have wondered why this is, as the studio’s last title, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, saw the release of several critically acclaimed expansions, which some argue are superior to the base game they are attached to.
The game’s popularity is certainly not in short supply these days, especially since the release of the critically acclaimed Edgerunners anime series that tied into the game, which saw a massive spike in Steam sales which eventually led to the game finally seeing its Steam reviews shift to “Mostly Positive” after years on the market.
Why Is Phantom Liberty the First and Last Expansion?
During a recent Q&A session with CD Projekt Red’s SVP of Business Development Michał Nowakowski, he was asked how much Phantom Liberty may have to sell to convince the studio to develop a follow-up expansion rather than cease development on the popular game.
The decision has actually been made. As we have announced a long time ago, we’re not going to make a second or third expansion. This is the only expansion of the game, and it has nothing to do with the numbers and how satisfied or not we are with sales or anything of the kind.
Also read: Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 Update and Phantom Liberty get Exploratory Video
He went on to clarify that, above all else, this was “a technological decision” resulting from the studio’s shift to developing on a different engine. Prior games from the studio have been built on the studio’s own proprietary engine, but it seems as though that is changing now, with Phantom Liberty representing the studio’s last hurrah with the famed engine.
It’s a technological decision, to be honest. This is the last time we’re working on the Red Engine for the time being at least, and in the foreseeable future as you know we are working on the Unreal Engine from Epic . This was one of the key reasons why we decided this was the only one.
This certainly does make sense, as Unreal Engine 5 has been lauded as one of the most impressive gaming engines on the market for the newest generation of consoles and PC hardware. If CD Projekt Red seeks to push the tech forward as far as possible, it makes sense to make the switch as soon as possible to give the team time to adjust to the new software.
Are you excited about the Phantom Liberty expansion? Do you think it will be as exciting of an addition to the game as The Witcher 3‘s expansions or are you expecting disappointment? Let us know in the comments and on our social media feeds!
Source: Video Games Chronicle
Follow us for more entertainment coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
