Cyberpunk 2077’s Project Orion Shouldn’t Rely on a Notable Franchise Trend

Cyberpunk 2077‘s secretive sequel, codenamed Project Orion, has been a popular point of discussion since CD Projekt Red confirmed its early stages of development have officially begun. Now that Cyberpunk 2077 is a far better experience than it was at its notorious launch, a follow-up game holds promise. Not only that, but last year’s Phantom Liberty DLC expanded the base game in a wonderful way.

Since the sequel is in its very early stages, there hasn’t been much confirmed about what Project Orion plans to offer players. From the game’s protagonist to the potential setting, Project Orion remains a huge question mark, but one feature may be likely. Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom LIberty both featured high-profile celebrities as major characters. Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand and Idris Elba as Solomon Reed were focal points in the franchise’s marketing. It’s highly possible that Project Orion will follow in these same footsteps, but it shouldn’t have to.

Project Orion Shouldn’t Have to Use Celebrity-Focused Marketing

The Cyberpunk Franchise Now Has Room to Grow Past Its Established Trend

Celebrity cameos can be fun and exciting, but when Project Orion is ready to be released to the masses, using these notable faces as its main marketing method will no longer be necessary. Cyberpunk 2077 has now built a reputation outside these cameos and proven itself as a compelling franchise, even without the push of celebrity recognition. There are many fascinating characters featured in Cyberpunk 2077‘s lore, and Project Orion will likely grow the roster even more. When it comes to CD Projekt Red approaching potential fresh characters, allowing them to exist on their own as compelling NPCs instead of giving them a celebrity’s likeness could be a stronger way to connect players to these characters.

Cyberpunk 2077
also features cameos from Hideo Kojima, Grimes, and various streamers.

The Double-Edged Sword of Celebrity Presence in Video Games

It’s true that the likeness and performances of celebrities in video games can ultimately help bring attention to a title, but it can also take away from the game’s world. For some, it may be hard to truly feel connected to the characters of Johnny Silverhand and Solomon Reed because they only see Keanu Reeves and Idris Elba. Celebrity cameos can have their place in gaming, but it can also completely break immersion. Now that Project Orion will have the success of Cyberpunk 2077 behind it, keeping celebrity appearances out of the game entirely could be a better way to make Night City feel more lifelike.

For RPGs like Cyberpunk 2077, player immersion is supposed to be at the forefront of the experience, and seeing someone’s favorite actor or musician can be distracting. Celebrity cameos also risk feeling like a gimmick instead of actually being useful to the narrative as they add up. The story of Project Orion is a huge mystery, but making every character feel as unique as possible could better entrench players.

Celebrity Performances Don’t Have to Leave Cyberpunk 2077 Completely

Balancing Cameos in a More Meaningful Way

If CD Projekt Red really wants to continue adding high-profile celebrities to Cyberpunk 2077, opting for a voiceover performance while foregoing using their likeness could be a happy medium. Every corner of Night City is filled with exciting NPCs to interact with, and having strong performances behind them is always a plus, whether they are popular celebrities or not.

Thankfully, there is at least plenty of balance between celebrity faces and original NPCs in Cyberpunk 2077, so even if Project Orion features major cameos, it likely won’t be overwhelming. As the Cyberpunk 2077 franchise moves forward, its upcoming sequel will have plenty of hype backing it up, whether there’s celebrity involvement or not.