CD PROJEKT RED has announced significant new hires to boost the development of the next Cyberpunk game, currently known as ‘Project Orion’. This project is being developed by the North American branch of the company, specifically within the newly established studio in Boston, Massachusetts.
Project Orion, which is still in its infancy, is being led by a team of seasoned professionals who previously contributed to Cyberpunk 2077 and its Phantom Liberty expansion. This includes notable figures such as Gabriel Amatangelo, Paweł Sasko, Igor Sarzyński, Andrzej Stopa, Kacper Niepokólczycki, Sarah Grümmer, and Kacper Kościeński. Their collective experience in game development forms the core of the project’s leadership.
The Boston team is being strengthened by the addition of several industry veterans known for their work on a range of successful AAA games.
[From the announcement @ CDPR]
- Dan Hernberg is joining the team as Executive Producer. Dan has previously worked as Head of Production at Amazon Games, Head of Production and Product Management at Panic Button, and Lead Product Manager at Blizzard Entertainment — and contributed to such titles as New World, Apex Legends, and Diablo III, among others.
- Ryan Barnard’s past credits include Game Director at Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft, as well as Gameplay Director at Hitman developer IO Interactive. He will be contributing his skillset as Design Director.
- Alan Villani is entering the Project Orion team as Engineering Director, having previously lent his technical expertise as VP of Technology on various WB Game products, including technical direction on several Mortal Kombat titles.
- Anna Megill is an award-winning game writer and author with 20 years’ experience in video games. She joins Project Orion as Lead Writer on the heels of narrative contributions to such titles as Control (Remedy), Dishonored: Death of The Outsider (Arkane), Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (Ubisoft Massive), Guild Wars 2 (ArenaNet), and the upcoming Fable (Playground Games).
- Alexander Freed will further bolster the writing for Project Orion. The New York Times bestselling novelist, narrative designer, and comic book writer with over 15 years of game writing experience has previously worked as Lead Writer at BioWare on, among other titles, Star Wars: The Old Republic. He has also written and consulted for various major studios, including DICE, Obsidian Entertainment, Wizards of the Coast, and 20th Century Fox’s games division FoxNext.
With Project Orion in the early stages of development, CD PROJEKT RED North America is actively recruiting for various positions across its Boston and Vancouver studios. The company’s official website lists the current job openings, with more to be added as the project progresses.
