Cyberpunk 2077’s manhole covers were too European, so CD Projekt Red wants the sequel to be more authentically American

Cyberpunk 2077 is apparently set in California, but there are enough weird elements to it that CD Projekt is paying close attention to making the sequel feel truly American.

On the surface, Cyberpunk 2077 is a very American game. After all, it’s set in the United States, essentially a futuristic version of Los Angeles. In a recent episode of the AnswerRED podcast, acting executive producer Dan Hernberg even said, “I think Cyberpunk is clearly a uniquely American story. It’s full of punk energy, and [the tabletop game] It was written by an American, so it seemed right to do it in America.” But of course, the CD Projekt studio that developed the game was based in Wroclaw, Poland, which obviously resulted in some parts of the game not being quite right, and which most people on this side of the Atlantic wouldn’t give a second thought to.

“There is a post [on Reddit] “Some people say there’s an immersion-breaking bug in Cyberpunk, and that bug is that manhole covers are the sidewalk manhole covers you normally use in Europe, in Germany,” said Paweł Sasko, the game’s deputy director. “These are not the usual manhole covers you normally see on American streets. When you go to America, you find [fire] The fire hydrants, their placement and how they look. The streetlights, their placement, the garbage cans, right? They’re in front of the houses, right next to the street. You don’t see that almost anywhere in Poland, in Europe. There are so many nuances. Dan, when we talked about it, he called it ‘Americanism.’ ”

Hernbird chimed in again, “Our curbs are different, all our signs are different colors. Everything is just slightly different. It doesn’t break the immersion, but it’s just these little things that make you think, ‘OK, maybe this wasn’t made by someone who lives here or who fully understands American culture.’ I also think [the studio] Being in the U.S., we’re able to engage with the broader culture of the U.S., like the influence of Hollywood. Obviously, Cyberpunk 2077 takes place in Los Angeles, so we get to interact with all of these cultural touchpoints and things, whether it’s music, story, or different regions of the U.S., which are all worth exploring.”

Project Orion, the as-yet-unnamed Cyberpunk sequel, is actually being developed by CD Projekt Red’s new Boston-based studio, with some help from its Vancouver studio, so that should result in more accurate manholes and signage (if that really bothers you). Of course, while you might be excited about a Cyberpunk sequel, The Witcher 4 is more likely to be next – although production isn’t scheduled to start until this year, so don’t get your hopes up for a release date.