Holy smokes, chooms! Can you believe it's 2026 and we're still buzzing about the potential of Project Orion, the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077? I mean, the first game dropped like a bomb on Night City, and now CDPR is cooking up something new. The biggest mind-bender? Figuring out how the sequel's story will handle the absolute pandemonium of endings from the original. Picking one as canon? That's a one-way ticket to fan outrage city, no doubt about it. The safest bet seems to be a brand-new story with a fresh-faced protagonist. It's a risky move, sure, but it's way less of a minefield than telling players their specific ending with V, Johnny, and the crew was all just a dream. But here's the thing that keeps me up at night: just because we might get a new main character doesn't mean our old flames have to vanish into the digital ether. Project Orion has a golden opportunity to turn our beloved romance options into the stuff of Night City legend.
Let's get real for a sec. When it comes to full-blown, heartstring-pulling romances in Cyberpunk 2077, four names stand out like neon signs in a blackout:
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Panam Palmer - The fiery, loyal Nomad queen. My absolute ride-or-die.
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Judy Alvarez - The brilliant, passionate braindance editor with a heart of gold.
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Kerry Eurodyne - The legendary rockerboy trying to find his voice again.
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River Ward - The tough-as-nails cop with a surprisingly soft center.
Sure, you could have your fun flings with the likes of Rogue or Meredith Stout (that corpo vibe, am I right?), but these four? They gave us storylines with real soul. And their fates? Totally up in the air based on your ending. Did Judy find peace? Did Panam lead the Aldecaldos to glory? It's killing me not knowing! This is where Project Orion can be a total game-changer. Instead of forcing a 'this is what really happened' narrative, the sequel can drop subtle, delicious breadcrumbs throughout Night City.
Imagine this: You're walking through a new, shiny (or more likely, grimy) district in 2078 or beyond, and you overhear a couple of NPCs at a noodle bar. 'Hey, you hear about that ex-NCPD detective, River Ward? He's running a private security firm now, cleaning up the streets his own way.' Boom! My heart would skip a beat. Or you're scrolling through an in-game news feed on a terminal and see a tiny article: 'Aldecaldos Secure Major Trade Route Under New Leadership.' No name mentioned, but we all know who they're talking about. That's the kind of world-building that makes a setting feel alive, like it existed before you hit 'New Game' and will keep spinning long after you log off.
Here’s a quick table of how these legendary nods could play out:
| NPC | Potential 'Legend' Status in Project Orion | How We Might Hear About Them |
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| Panam Palmer | Famed Aldecaldo leader/folk hero of the Badlands. | News reports, nomad camp stories, graffiti of a Basilisk. |
| Judy Alvarez | Renowned braindance artist or activist in Oregon. | A documentary playing on a TV, a curated BD collection in a shop. |
| Kerry Eurodyne | Music icon who made a legendary comeback. | His new songs on the radio, ads for his holotours on megabuildings. |
| River Ward | Respected PI or founder of a 'clean cop' initiative. | A shard detailing a case he solved, a mention from a fixer. |
This approach is pure genius. It lets CD Projekt Red have their cake and eat it too. They get a fresh start for the main story, avoiding the canon-ending controversy, but they also massively enhance the world-building by making our previous choices feel like they left a mark on Night City. These characters become more than just NPCs we dated; they become part of the city's living mythos. The thought of not having Panam as my shotgun-toting partner-in-crime in the sequel is a real bummer, I won't lie. But knowing she's out there somewhere, kicking ass and taking names, living her best life based on my playthrough? That's a different kind of satisfaction. It's bittersweet, but in the best possible way.
Look, the path forward is fraught with hurdles. Continuing V's story means locking in an ending. Starting fresh means leaving V and friends behind. A fresh start seems inevitable, and honestly, it's probably for the best. It opens up a whole new world of storytelling possibilities. But a Night City that has completely forgotten about the legends of 2077? That would feel empty. The city has a long memory for mercs and icons. Whether Project Orion stays in Night City or ventures out to the neon-drenched sprawls of other continents, I'm holding out hope. I want to find those Easter eggs, those whispered legends, those fragments of the past. I want to know that in the chaos of that city, the connections we made as V mattered. That our romances, our friendships, our struggles didn't just fade to black. They became part of the story Night City tells about itself. And that, my friends, would be preem. Here's hoping CDPR makes it happen. The wait for Project Orion is gonna be a long one, but if they nail this, it'll be totally worth it. 🤞