For a game as sprawling and dense as Cyberpunk 2077, the closure offered to its characters is a mixed bag. Many storylines find their natural end, while others tantalizingly trail off, leaving fans hungry for more. As of 2026, with Project Orion on the distant horizon, speculation runs wild about who from the original cast might make a comeback. Among the bustling, neon-soaked streets and the desolate Badlands, one character's journey feels particularly incomplete, her future a giant question mark hanging over the Pacifica coast. That character is Judy Alvarez.
Judy's Arc: A Story Interrupted
When players first meet Judy in Cyberpunk 2077, she's introduced almost entirely through her connection to Evelyn Parker. Her entire initial questline is fueled by grief and a desire for vengeance on Evelyn's behalf. While other major characters like Panam Palmer, River Ward, or Kerry Eurodyne have their own compelling, self-contained narratives, Judy's feels uniquely tethered to another's tragedy. Panam's tale is one of clan, family, and the open road—a heck of a ride that, while fantastic, wraps up neatly. You help her with the Raffen Shiv, settle scores with Kang Tao, and ultimately, she finds a new purpose with or without V. Her book is closed, no cliffhanger ending.
River's quest is dark and traumatic, dealing with family horror, but it culminates in a strangely wholesome NCPD simulation and a family dinner. Kerry's story ends with a bang—literally—a moment of explosive catharsis for the aging rockerboy. Judy's, however, takes a different path. Just when she seems on the verge of a breakdown, she invites V to dive—literally—into her past, exploring her flooded childhood home in Laguna Bend. This beautiful, melancholic sequence is a rare glimpse into who Judy is beyond her grief.
The Romance That Feels Like a Pause Button
This deep dive leads to an intimate moment and, if players choose, a full-blown romance. From then on, Judy's "story" is technically over. Players can invite her to their apartment, exchange gifts, and share quiet moments. But here's the kicker: the more you do this, the more the illusion wears thin. She, like other romance options, slowly transforms from a complex character into an NPC with recycled dialogue. It starts to feel less like a relationship and more like a placeholder. It's a bittersweet reward—you "get the girl," but the game has little left for her to say or do. Her personal journey of self-discovery, which only just began after Evelyn's death, effectively grinds to a halt. Talk about an anti-climax.
Why Project Orion Needs Judy
This is precisely why Judy is the prime candidate for a return in Project Orion. Panam's story is a complete package—awesome, but done. River and Kerry have found their peace (or chaos). Judy's arc, however, is fundamentally about beginning to heal and figure out who she is outside the trauma of Night City's underbelly. We see the first steps, but not the journey. Where does a brilliant, sensitive braindance editor go after escaping the city's claws? Does she find a new creative outlet? Does she, as she hoped, find a real family? The potential is massive.
Imagine encountering a Judy Alvarez five years later in the timeline of Project Orion. She wouldn't be the grief-stricken tech we knew. She could have evolved into a mentor figure, a connector in the underground, or even a voice for the disenfranchised outside the city limits. Her expertise in braindance—a technology that records pure experience—could be pivotal in a new storyline, perhaps exploring the nature of memory and identity in a digital age. Her return wouldn't just be fan service; it would be finishing a story we only got the first chapter of.
The Verdict: An Open-Ended Invitation
While Night City is full of unforgettable characters, few have an arc that so explicitly begs for a continuation. Judy's conclusion in Cyberpunk 2077 feels less like an ending and more like an intermission. The other romances offer a sense of finality; dating Panam feels like settling into a new life with the Aldecaldos, and Kerry's is about reigniting a fading star. Judy's romance, beautiful as it is, feels like a promise of a future we never get to see. For Project Orion to truly build on the rich foundations of its predecessor, picking up the thread of Judy Alvarez's life would be a masterstroke. It's a chance to answer the question the first game posed but never answered: Who is Judy Alvarez when she's finally free? That's a story worth telling, and frankly, it's one she damn well deserves.