CDPR's creative director explained why an extended prologue would have harmed Cyberpunk 2077

Despite years of refinement, Cyberpunk 2077 still remains controversial among some players. One of the most common complaints remains the short introduction and V's rapidly developing relationship with Jackie Wells, which some players feel lacked screen time. However, CD Projekt RED considers this approach deliberate and justified.

Igor Sarzhinsky, previously responsible for the game's cutscenes and now the studio's creative director, noted that expanding the first act and adding additional scenes with Jackie would have disrupted the narrative's pace. He believes the story should quickly draw the player into the main events, and excessive delays at the beginning would weaken the dramatic effect and dilute the author's intent.

He acknowledged that not everyone develops a deep attachment to their partner in the allotted time, but emphasized that the balance between the pace of the story and the development of characters was deliberate. At the same time, the developer pointed out another nuance: the discrepancy between the urgency of the story and the freedom to explore Night City, where the protagonist is formally limited in time but can be endlessly distracted by side activities.

Sarzynski also refuted the widespread belief that the montage clip featuring Jackie was allegedly cobbled together from deleted scenes, stating that players were shown the version the team originally envisioned. Meanwhile, CDPR continues work on the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, previously known as Project Orion, which is rumored to feature several megacities.