Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2.5 Brawler Reportedly in Development From CD Projekt and Shantae Studio WayForward
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is being turned into a 2.5D brawler by Shantae developer WayForward, it's been reported.
Edgerunners, the acclaimed anime spin-off from CD Projekt's Cyberpunk 2077, is set to return soon for more episodes — but there's even more from its world on the way. That's according to a report by MP1st, which has lifted the lid on an unannounced project codenamed "Gemini" that has been in development since 2025.
Details gleaned from an unnamed former WayForward employee point to the project being in the research and design phase — so still some way from launching. Still, the game has apparently been planned as a "rollback-driven" 2.5D brawler, potentially similar to WayForward's River City Girls series — which also has an anime vibe.
What's unclear now is whether the project remains in development. MP1st reports that WayForward had an unannounced game based on an external franchise cancelled last year after losing funding, leading to layoffs last September — but it's unknown if this project was Gemini, or something else.
CD Projekt declined to comment on the matter when contacted by IGN today.
And, of course, even if Gemini does not ultimately see a release, Cyberpunk fans can look forward to a second season of Edgerunners — which is currently set to premiere on Netflix this fall. Fans have already been analyzing a recent trailer to try and work out where the new episodes will be set. You can also read about how Season 1 nearly had an even sadder ending than the one it got.
On the video game front, Cyberpunk 2 is in development, with 163 people working on it as of the end of April. While we know little about the sequel, Cyberpunk creator Mike Pondsmith teased some details when he was asked about the scope of his involvement with what was then known as Project Orion, back at the Digital Dragons 2025 conference.
In September last year, speaking with IGN while promoting his movie Good Fortune, Keanu Reeves said that he wanted to be part of the Cyberpunk sequel. “Absolutely. I’d love to play Johnny Silverhand again," Reeves said when asked if he’d be interested in revisiting his legendary rockstar terrorist character in Cyberpunk 2. Pondsmith later said he'd worked out a way to make it make sense, and has told the much-loved actor: “contact me.”
It sounds like we'll have to wait some time to find out. CD Projekt is of course focusing on The Witcher 4, and Nowakowski has suggested Cyberpunk 2 won’t be out until at least 2030. Perhaps that's why Cyberpunk 2077 fans have called on CD Projekt to change its mind and release more DLC for the game, as it is with The Witcher 3.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social