When it comes to games the size of Cyberpunk 2077, there's always a litany of possible changes that could potentially improve the experience for a certain subset of players. One such suggestion – making the first act longer – has been shot down by the creative director of Cyberpunk 2, because it would damage the pacing, no matter how much we'd like more time with Jackie.
In a thread on Bluesky, Igor Sarzyński, cinematic director on Cyberpunk 2077 and creative director for the follow-up, addresses whether extending Act 1 pre-heist would lead to a "better game." He believes not, unequivocally, and breaks down his logic across multiple points. "It's like saying we should spend more time on Tatooine with farmer Luke before he got involved with all this Jedi stuff," he starts.
A sound point to start with. Tattooine serves particular narrative purposes in Star Wars: A New Hope, and if you spend too long there, it would put the film off-kilter. That said, I think his second point holds more particular weight.
So would extending Act 1 (before the heist) in CP77 make the game better? 1. No it wouldn't. It's like saying we should spend more time on Tatooine with farmer Luke before he got involved with all this Jedi stuff. (1/3)
— @srznsk.bsky.social (@srznsk.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-01-06T17:29:39.979Z
"It's an open world game, some manage to squeeze 20 hours out of Watson," Sarzyński continues. "Pick your own pace."
This, to me at least, is where a lot of the endearment towards Jackie comes from. He's your partner during some pivotal early-game sequences, creating a sense of camaraderie you can strain for every last second if you'd like.
The next point feeds into that, as Sarzyński notes your motivation "is pretty vague" by design, and too long in that headspace would lead to a "meandering, unfocused experience." He adds there's a divide in the audience around if we get enough time for Jackie to seem consequential. "For some it is, for some it isn't," he says. "All things considered I think we struck a good balance."
I would tend to agree, personally, but I understand why someone wouldn't either. Frankly, I enjoy seeing a developer justify the creative decisions so openly – it makes me that much more excited for Cyberpunk 2, whenever it comes out.
