Can you even imagine it? It's 2026, and the echoes of my decisions as V are still rippling through the neon-soaked hellscape of Night City. The 'Don't Fear the Reaper' ending wasn't just a finale; it was a detonation at the heart of the cyberpunk world. And now, with the whispers of Project Orion growing louder, I can't help but wonder—how will CD Projekt Red build a new saga on the radioactive ruins I left behind? My legend, my sacrifice, my impossible choice... it's all about to become the foundational bedrock for the next chapter. The very thought sends a jolt of chrome through my system!
The Impossible Choice That Split Reality
Let's be brutally honest, choom. When I stared down that final, soul-crushing decision, did I really know what I was unleashing? The Path of Glory saw me clinging to my dying body, crowned as the King of the Afterlife for six glorious, fleeting months. But what happens when that final flatline hits? Does Night City mourn? Or does it just scavenge the pieces?
Then there's the other path—the one where I gave Johnny the keys to my meat-suit and let my digitized soul get lost beyond the Blackwall. Johnny Silverhand, walking around in my face! Is he out there right now, sipping a whiskey sour at the Afterlife and telling tall tales about our exploits? The sheer, mind-bending potential is enough to make a netrunner's head spin. Project Orion's starting screen could be a news ticker announcing my death... or a call from Rogue about a gig from a very familiar, rockerboy-possessed merc.
A City Reforged in My Wake
Forget just following a new protagonist. What if Project Orion lets players choose which version of history is real? Imagine starting a new game and being asked: 'What was V's Legend?' Your answer doesn't just change dialogue—it reshapes the entire damn city!
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If V Died a Legend: Arasaka is crippled, but the power vacuum is a warzone. Militech, Kang Tao, Biotechnica—they're all carving up the spoils. The NUSA, emboldened by the events of Phantom Liberty, might be making its boldest move yet. The streets are quieter, but only because a new, colder corporate war is brewing in the boardrooms.
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If Johnny Lives On: The counter-culture has a new/old icon. Arasaka's humiliation is a rallying cry. Is Johnny leading a new revolution, or is he just a washed-up relic partying on borrowed time? The very vibe of Night City's underground would be different—more anarchic, more rebellious, more... rock and roll.
What about the people I left behind? Is Panam leading the Aldecaldos to new glory, or is she hollowed out by grief? Is Judy trying to find a trace of my engram in the deep net? These aren't just loose ends; they're the fuel for a dozen new storylines!
Will I, V, Return? The Ultimate Question
Here's the million-eddie question that keeps every fan awake at night: Will I be back? Part of me screams 'YES!'—my story can't be over. Maybe the geniuses at CD Projekt Red find a way. A miracle cure from some black-site clinic. A deal with a rogue AI from beyond the Blackwall. They could turn my search for a real solution into the core of a whole new trilogy! Who wouldn't want to see the Legend of the Afterlife take on the biggest challenge yet: cheating death itself?
But another part knows the truth. The most powerful stories know when to end. My journey had a perfect, tragic, beautiful closure. Maybe my greatest role in Project Orion is as a ghost—a myth that new characters measure themselves against. Every fixer comparing the new talent to V. Every bartender telling the story of the heist at the Crystal Palace. My legacy could be the shadow that defines the next generation of edgerunners. Isn't that more powerful than a cheap resurrection?
The Unfinished Symphony: Plotlines Waiting to Explode
Project Orion isn't starting from zero. It's walking into a city I set on fire! Look at all the dynamite just lying around:
| Plot Thread | Potential in Project Orion |
|---|---|
| NUSA vs. Night City | All-out cold war? The 'free city' status hanging by a thread? |
| The Blackwall & Rogue AIs | With Alt Cunningham and possibly MY engram out there... is the wall about to fall? |
| The Afterlife's New King/Queen | Who took my spot? Mr. Hands? Someone entirely new? The bar is the heart of the merc world. |
| Corporate War | Arasaka's weakness is everyone else's opportunity. The streets will run with blood and money. |
And the gangs! The Moxes, the Valentinos, the Scavengers—with the corps distracted, the underworld is a playground for a new power struggle. Project Orion's protagonist could be right in the middle of that, maybe even inspired by the legend of some gonk named V who once saved the city.
So, as we stare into the neon-drenched future, one thing is crystal clear: Night City in 2026 and beyond is my creation. Whether I'm in the ground, in the net, or sipping synth-tequila in a ghostly afterglow, the world of Project Orion will be living in the world I made. CD Projekt Red has the most explosive foundation any sequel could ask for. They just have to decide how to light the fuse. The only question left is... are you ready to live in my world? 😎