According to the Cyberpunk 2 director, focusing on Jackie is pointless
A striking statement came from the creative team talking about Cyberpunk 2. While the question of “why didn’t we spend more time with Jackie Welles, one of the most beloved characters from Cyberpunk 2077?” has been on the agenda for years, Igor Sarzynski, one of the key figures in the game’s narrative, clearly opposed this expectation. According to him, although Jackie is a strong character, she was never the main backbone of the story.
Jackie Was Loved, But Not the Heart of the Story
In a post on Bluesky, Sarzynski argued that focusing more on Jackie wouldn’t make the game better. He explained this with a very simple analogy: “It’s like wanting Luke Skywalker to stay longer as a farmer on Tatooine before embarking on his Jedi journey.” In other words, Jackie is an important spark in V’s story, but the main journey isn’t limited to her.
According to the director, players can already spend up to 15-20 hours in Watson, the first area of Cyberpunk 2077. Extending this section further, where objectives are deliberately kept vague, could have turned it into a disjointed and aimless experience instead of strengthening the narrative. He also specifically emphasizes that the fast-paced montage scenes involving Jackie are not cut content; this was the plan from the beginning.
Of course, not everyone agrees with this view. Players who want to connect more with Jackie still feel this loss was premature. Sarzynski, however, argues that it was a matter of conscious balance: “For some players it was enough, for others it wasn’t. But looking at the overall picture, we found the right point.”
This approach also summarizes how CD Projekt Red views the Cyberpunk universe. Despite the freedom of the open world, the studio prioritizes narrative and character-driven progression. This is a strong indication that Cyberpunk 2 will feature a new and clear vision of the story, rather than dwelling on past fan demands.
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