CD Projekt Red shares that Cyberpunk 2077 DLC is over
CD Projekt Red shares that Cyberpunk 2077 DLC is over, but the developer explains that the lack of new content for the open-world game is due to its transition away from in-house Red Engine and towards Unreal Engine. The studio also confirms that the next mainline Witcher game is continuing development, with the team working on Phantom Liberty set to move to the new project post-DLC.
Phantom Liberty is the first and last Cyberpunk 2077 DLC
CD Projekt Red announces that the upcoming Phantom Liberty is the first and last Cyberpunk 2077 DLC, releasing on September 26. The studio says the decision to not have subsequent Cyberpunk 2077 DLC content was a technological one, as it moved away from in-house Red Engine to Unreal Engine.
“When we started development on Cyberpunk 2077, we had a vision of what we wanted to accomplish with the technology behind the game,” CD Projekt Red explains. “As we moved away from our in-house engine, Red, and started using the Unreal Engine, we decided that it made the most sense for future game development to focus on the technology we were using.”
The studio says the decision to have only one Cyberpunk 2077 DLC was a “technological choice,” as it focuses on using Unreal Engine for future game development. CDPR says it decided to focus on other projects, including the next Witcher game, codenamed Polaris.
“Following the cancellation of the ‘White Wolf’ console port of the first Witcher game, we started developing the Red Engine, which was used to develop all three of our major game releases: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Cyberpunk 2077, and Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales,” CDPR explains. “We retired the Red Engine in favour of the Unreal Engine after partnering with Epic Games, which gave us access to the tools and expertise of that world-renowned studio.”
Transition to the next mainline Witcher game
While CDPR has shifted developers to work on Unreal Engine 5, the studio says the upcoming Phantom Liberty will be its final Cyberpunk 2077 DLC.
The Witcher developer says that a significant portion of Phantom Liberty team will be moved to the next mainline Witcher game, codenamed Polaris, after the DLC’s launch. The team working on Phantom Liberty consisted of 300 people during the pre-release phase, with CD Projekt Red saying the Polaris team has grown to almost 260 developers.
This transition comes as CDPR announces Phantom Liberty will be the last Cyberpunk 2077 DLC. The studio says its decision to focus on other projects after Cyberpunk 2077 DLC is due to its technological shift.
“Cyberpunk 2077’s last DLC, Phantom Liberty, will be released this September,” CDPR says. “This marks the end of DLC development for the game. However, this isn’t the last we’ll see of Night City – the game’s rich and vibrant world is an inspiration for our future projects, including the next mainline Witcher game, codenamed Polaris.”
The studio adds, “The decision to have only one DLC was a technological one, as we have moved away from our in-house engine, and are using the Unreal Engine.”
CD Projekt Red’s new next mainline Witcher game is set to kick off a “new saga” for the series. The team working on the next mainline Witcher game has grown in size, and CDPR says a “significant portion” of the Phantom Liberty team will transition to Polaris after the DLC’s launch.
The release of Phantom Liberty is approaching, and CDPR says the next mainline Witcher game is continuing development. Check out our complete guide to the next Witcher game for everything we know so far, or find out how to get the best Cyberpunk 2077 mods to enhance your experience in Night City.
