CD Projekt Red's Quest Team Is Half Modders—Here's Why That Matters for Cyberpunk 2
Key takeaways
- Approximately half of Cyberpunk 2's quest design team are recruited from the game's modding community.
- CD Projekt Red views modders as essential to keeping the original Cyberpunk 2077 alive and actively partners with them on updates.
- The studio describes modding as a gateway into professional game development, offering hands-on learning before studio employment.
CD Projekt Red is building Cyberpunk 2's quest team from an unexpected talent pool: its own modding community. During an October REDstream, associate game director Pawel Sasko disclosed that around 50% of the designers creating the sequel's missions and story segments are former modders. He described modding as a "foot-in-the-door technique" for aspiring developers—a way to learn game systems hands-on before joining a studio. The studio has also partnered with active modders on recent updates to the original Cyberpunk 2077, adding cross-platform support for PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S. Sasko emphasized that CDPR views its modding community as essential to the game's longevity, saying "the modding community is really keeping the game alive." This approach reflects a deliberate strategy to nurture and recruit passionate fans rather than dismiss them.
The bigger picture
Hiring modders signals confidence in fan-driven innovation—a sharp contrast to how some publishers treat mod communities with legal pressure. For Cyberpunk 2, it's also practical: modders already understand the game's toolset and player base, reducing onboarding friction. This model could influence how other studios approach community engagement, though it requires studios willing to cede some creative control and openly credit fan contributions. Watch whether other AAA franchises adopt similar recruitment strategies.
We're covering this because it's a rare transparency moment in AAA development. CD Projekt Red naming modders as half its quest team isn't just a feel-good story—it reframes how studios can treat their most dedicated players. It's also a signal that modding expertise is now a credential studios actively seek, which has real implications for aspiring game developers watching from their bedroom.
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