Cyberpunk 2077 in 2026: Lead Quest Designer on why it's still worth playing

Cyberpunk 2077 is effectively a finished product heading into 2026, but CD Projekt Red isn't done talking about it. PCGamesN sat down with Lead Quest Designer Sarah Gruemmer to ask the obvious question: why should anyone boot up Night City now?

Gruemmer is candid about the designer's curse when asked if she's satisfied with the final state of the game. "Never ask a designer this question!" she says. "There's always something to add, isn't there? Given infinite time and chance, I'm positive I'll always be able to think of something I'd love to include. Looking at what the game is right now, though, I really love all the improvements we made and how much they've added to the experience. I think it's in a very nice place and anyone who picks it up now can have a really fantastic time." On what she'd carry into the next game, she stays vague — "when you design and work on something, you're always thinking about what can be done next" — but offers nothing concrete about Cyberpunk 2.

As for why players should jump in now, Gruemmer points to the obvious draws — the branching story, Phantom Liberty, Idris Elba and Keanu Reeves — but also to the platform breadth CDPR has built up over the years. "Night City is more gorgeous and immersive than ever, and there are many places you can play it now, too, thanks to all the support we give to the game," she says. Cyberpunk 2077's trajectory is one of the more remarkable in recent memory: a disastrous 2020 launch plagued by bugs and missing features like the promised Metro system nearly buried it, but sustained post-launch work — culminating in the Phantom Liberty expansion — turned it into a benchmark for single-player storytelling.

With the main game wrapped up, attention is shifting to what comes next for the franchise: a second season of the Edgerunners anime and a newly launched Cyberpunk TCG are already in the picture, and Cyberpunk 2 sits somewhere on the horizon. Gruemmer isn't giving anything away, but the interview makes clear that CDPR still considers Night City very much open for business.