CD Projekt Says Extending Jackie’s Story in Cyberpunk 2077 Wouldn’t Have Made Sense

Although it took a few years for Cyberpunk 2077 to redeem itself after its rocky launch, the game has finally become the hit everyone hoped for, and a major success for CD Projekt. While fans now await the sequel, which is still years away, many continue to enjoy the original, even if they still have a few small complaints.

One common suggestion among fans is to give Jackie Welles, one of the game’s most beloved characters, more screen time. But according to Cyberpunk 2 developer Igor Sarzynski, that idea doesn’t really make sense.

Cyberpunk 2077 Dev Says Extending Act 1 Would Be Like More Farmer Luke in Star Wars

Sarzynski explained on BlueSky that, while Jackie is a favorite among fans and an excellent companion, his time in the story was intentionally limited and carefully designed.

“So would extending Act 1 (before the heist) in CP77 make the game better? No it wouldn’t,” he said. “It’s like saying we should spend more time on Tatooine with farmer Luke before he got involved with all this Jedi stuff.”

The developer described Act 1, which ends with the heist to steal Arasaka Corporation’s experimental tech, as a tightly structured section. “The motivation / goal in this section of the game is pretty vague – ‘get to the top’ – which, prolonged and without stakes or pressure would result in meandering, unfocused experience,” he added.

Sarzynski acknowledged that some players might find their time with Jackie too short, but he believes it’s “well balanced.” He also clarified that the six-month montage shown after the prologue was always meant to be a single cinematic sequence, not cut content from the game. Still, many players manage to spend over 20 hours exploring the Watson district with Jackie before moving on.

In other news, Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, codenamed Project Orion, aims to feature the most realistic and reactive crowd system ever seen in a video game.

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