5 Things That We Want To See In A Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel Set In Chicago

When CD Projekt Red confirmed that a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, code-named Project Orion, was officially in the works, there was a lot of speculation about what the story could be about and where the next installment in the series might take us. 

Cyberpunk 2077 was set in Night City, a seedy neofuturistic metropolis on the West Coast of the United States that is ruled by international conglomerates and criminal organizations. Since the game’s release, Night City has become one of the most iconic open-world environments in gaming history, and has ignited interest into what other cities in the Cyberpunk universe could be like. If CDPR decides to leave the West Coast behind, there’s one city that could be the perfect place to take the series to next – Chicago.

As it turns out, using Chicago as Cyberpunk 2077’s next open-world setting, might not be just wishful thinking. In a 2025 interview that took place at the Digital Dragon’s conference, Mike Pondsmith, the creator of the Cyberpunk series, described the game’s next location as ,”Like Chicago gone wrong”. It should also be noted that CD Projekt Red is headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, and Chicago happens to have the largest Polish population outside of Poland in the world.

Within the Cyberpunk Universe, the city of Chicago does have its own lore. The city was almost completely abandoned after a company specializing in biowarfare, abandoned one of its facilities located under the University of Chicago. This facility was eventually rediscovered by construction crews, who ignored biohazard warnings and began to demolish the structure in order to renovate the surrounding buildings. 

This event ended up being a huge mistake, and led to biochemicals being released into the Chicago area, causing 200,000 deaths and a consequent population decline of 90%. Years after this event, another corporation stepped in with the goal of rebuilding the city, and by 2077, Chicago’s population had rebounded back to around 8,000,000 people.

So what does a Cyberpunk game set in Chicago need to include? In this article, we list five things we think should definitely not be left out.

The Chicago ‘L’ is a very important aspect of the city’s identity, and as such, should not be left out of any piece of media set in Chicago, whether that be a tv show, movie, or video game. In the context of Cyberpunk, a neo-futuristic version of the ‘L’ train and CTA stations, would be a wonderful addition to the visual aesthetic of the game. 

Night City received its own metro system as a part of Cyberpunk 2077’s 2.1 update, which allows your character to use the train to travel around the open world. A Chicago based Cyberpunk game could take this feature even further, by making it more convenient to use, or even adding missions set on the train.

In Cyberpunk 2077, Night City had its fair share of sandstorms and torrential downpours, but overall, situations where weather conditions really mattered were few and far between. A Chicago-based Cyberpunk game could up the ante by involving the city’s harsh winters, unpredictable summer storms, and its proximity to Lake Michigan make the effects of the city’s climate affect the story in countless ways.

Imagine your character ambushing cybergangs in whiteout blizzards, or powerful lightning storms striking the antennas of neon lit skyscrapers. The possibilities are endless, and if the next Cyberpunk game is indeed set in Chicago, then CDPR has a chance to combine weather dynamics and gameplay in ways that few games have ever done before.

Chicago is known as the city that invented the skyscraper, and a Cyberpunk game set in the city should reflect that historical legacy. 

Massive megabuildings and neofuturistic corpo towers placed alongside current iconic Chicago skyscrapers, such as the St. Regis and the John Hancock Tower, would be an incredibly pleasing visual backdrop. Adding in some of Chicago’s many other architectural staples to the mix, and you would have a futuristic noir-like game setting that players could spend hours exploring.

The musical identity of Cyberpunk 2077 was the perfect soundscape to set the tone for all of the adventures and encounters that took place in Night City. The next game in the series should make sure to keep this, while also combining it with the musical influences of its setting. If that setting happens to be Chicago, then there are an almost infinite amount of musical concoctions that are possible. 

With the city’s history of jazz, blues, house, and hip hop, A Cyberpunk set in Chicago could expand upon and redefine the emotional tone of the game. Plus, who wouldn’t want to see futuristic blues lounges or DJ’s playing house music sets in neon dance clubs? 

In Cyberpunk 2077, Night City is split up into six unique districts, including the corporation heavy City Center, the lawless district of Pacifica, and the industrial streets of Watson. Each of these districts have their own personalities that add to the adventure of the game, and not knowing what to expect as you move across the city.

Similar to Night City, Chicago is also divided into various community areas and neighborhoods. Including some if not all of these areas would be an essential part of making the video game Chicago feel like an accurate rendition of the real thing.

For Chicagoans, it would be a wonderful sight to see the futuristic versions of their neighborhoods, and how they fare within the Cyberpunk universe. For all others, it could be an incredible opportunity for them to explore an amazing city without ever leaving the house.

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