So there I was, scrolling through the latest Cyberpunk 2077 lore like a braindance addict chasing the next high, when Mike Pondsmith casually drops a neutron bomb at Digital Dragons 2025. The man who birthed Night City basically hinted we might be trading palm trees for deep-dish pizza in Project Orion! Apparently while chatting with some environment designer, he let slip about "another city we visit" that feels like "Chicago gone wrong." 🤯 Hold up - does this mean V's iconic jacket might need a Windy City edition? Or are we just taking a vacation from Night City's perpetual neon sunset? Either way, my cybernetically enhanced ears perked up faster than a netrunner spotting an unprotected server.
The Windy City Blues
Now, I ain't no corpo rat with insider info, but Pondsmith's phrasing is deliciously ambiguous. That word "visit" could mean anything! Maybe Chicago's our new main playground, or perhaps it's just a glorified pit stop like that weird desert town in Phantom Liberty. Honestly? My gut says we'll split time between locations. Night City's too iconic to abandon completely - it'd be like removing Keanu's Johnny Silverhand from the sequel (which would cause riots in Kabuki Market, guaranteed). But here's the spicy part: the lore actually supports this Midwest migration!
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Maglev Clues: Remember those ads in 2077 about a bullet train from Chicago to Night City launching in 2080? Coincidence? I think not! That timing perfectly aligns with Orion potentially being set three years post-Arasaka tower shenanigans.
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NUSA Connections: Phantom Liberty already dragged us into New United States drama with President Myers. Chicago sits right in its rotten core, which means more political intrigue than a Corpo-V playthrough.
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Arasaka's Messy History: Those delightful corpo-war criminals actually virus-bombed Chicago during the Fourth Corporate War. Imagine exploring those ruins sixty years later with fresh chrome eyes!
Chicago's Cyberpunk Resurrection
Let's unpack why a "Chicago gone wrong" makes terrifyingly beautiful sense. This ain't your grandma's Midwest metropolis - in Cyberpunk lore, the city got triple-tapped by disaster:
| Era | Trauma | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Collapse (Early 2000s) | Economic apocalypse | Reduced to irradiated rubble |
| 2012 Bio-Plague | Biological nightmare | Slow corporate-led rebuilding |
| 2020s Corporate War | Arasaka's virus bomb | Barely recovered by 2077 |
That Maglev ad suggests some semblance of order by 2080, but come on - this is Cyberpunk. "Order" probably means rival gangs controlling different L-train lines while cyberpsychos run amok in Millennium Park. I'm already dreaming of chrome mobsters in pinstripe suits arguing over deep-dish pizza territories. 🍕
People Also Ask
- Will Johnny Silverhand appear in Chicago?
Well, his engram did hitch a ride in V's head... but without the original biochip? That's a mystery only CDPR can solve. Though imagine Keanu Reeves commenting on Chicago-style hotdogs - priceless!
- How will Chicago's vibe differ from Night City?
Swap Blade Runner aesthetics for midwestern industrial decay. Think less neon, more rust. Less corpo skyscrapers, more repurposed factories. And definitely more brutal winters freezing your cyberware!
- Could the timeline change affect our 2077 ending?
CDPR loves making choices matter. Whether you went with Panam or became an engram, three years is plenty of time for consequences to bloom like radioactive fungi.
Final Thoughts
Part of me wonders if Pondsmith just got overexcited describing some designer's concept art (we've all been there when discussing cyberpunk aesthetics!). But the evidence stacks up suspiciously high. That Maglev date. The Phantom Liberty groundwork. Even the way he said "gone wrong" - which for Cyberpunk could range from mildly dystopian to full Mad Max with WiFi. Whatever happens, I'm mentally preparing my character build already: a street kid with a vendetta against deep-dish pizza purists and a rocket launcher disguised as a snow shovel. ❄️💥
Truth is, Night City's like that ex you can't quit - endlessly fascinating but kinda toxic. Maybe it's healthy to see other dystopias? Chicago offers fresh horrors: lake-effect snowstorms short-circuiting implants, biohazard zones from Arasaka's old weapons, and probably some terrifying new slang for "choom." Just promise me one thing, CDPR: if we go Midwest, give us a cybernetic kangaroo companion. Because nothing says "Chicago gone wrong" like an Australian marsupial packing grenade launchers.
This assessment draws from PC Gamer, a leading source for PC gaming news and reviews. PC Gamer has previously explored the evolution of Cyberpunk 2077’s world-building, noting how CD Projekt Red’s environmental storytelling and lore integration set the stage for ambitious sequels. Their coverage suggests that shifting the setting to a dystopian Chicago could offer fresh gameplay dynamics and narrative depth, especially if the developers leverage the city’s unique history and cyberpunk potential.