Cyberpunk Developers Emphasize Immersion Over Cinematic Cutscenes

Igor Sarzynski, the lead developer behind Cyberpunk 2, has articulated the team’s choice to utilize first-person cutscenes exclusively. According to Sarzynski, this decision prioritizes “uninterrupted immersion” over traditional cinematics, which can detract from the player’s experience.

On January 22, Sarzynski made these remarks in a post on BlueSky, where he shared several impressive screenshots from the development phase of the Cyberpunk 2077 expansion, Phantom Liberty.

Prioritizing Immersion in Game Design

In his insightful post, Sarzynski reflected on the journey of developing Phantom Liberty, noting the aesthetically striking visuals that accompany cutscene creation. He acknowledged that while third-person cutscenes can offer stunning visuals, the essence of uninterrupted player immersion takes precedence when designing the player experience.

stumbled upon some old pics i shot during phantom liberty development ^^ gotta admit setting up cutscenes in this game would be extremely pleasant (coz everything looks mindblowingly amazing) but in the end i value our uninterrupted immersion more ✨

— igor.sarzynski (@srznsk.bsky.social) 2026-01-22T01:31:44.185Z

While he didn’t explicitly mention Cyberpunk 2, his insights imply that the sequel will maintain a stronger emphasis on first-person perspectives during cutscenes, in line with the original Cyberpunk and its DLC expansion, which consistently kept the camera focused on the player. This design is widely recognized as pivotal to preserving the game’s immersive atmosphere.

Engaging with a user who expressed a preference for third-person perspectives, Sarzynski remarked, “When something is for everyone, then it’s for no one. It’s ok to not vibe with our choices!” He indicated that introducing the option for third-person cutscenes would significantly increase the project’s complexity, effectively expanding its scope by 75%, which might not be practical for their development process. However, it’s uncertain if this comment directly pertains to Cyberpunk 2 or the development practices in general.

Sarzynski’s sharing of development insights has been frequent, and earlier this month, he discussed the reasons behind the absence of Male V in later marketing campaigns for Cyberpunk 2077, further shedding light on the company’s strategic choices.

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