On July 27, 2026, the portal MP1ST leaked information about a secret CD Projekt RED title—a 2.5D fighting game based on the anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. The game, working title Project Gemini, was being developed jointly with WayForward studio in 2025–2026 and had reached the prototyping stage. The developers were preparing a dynamic action game with rollback netcode, but the project’s fate is now up in the air.
The information surfaced directly from the portfolio of a former WayForward developer who worked on the concept. In structure and spirit, the title was strongly reminiscent of the famous River City Girls series—the same spirited 2.5D beat ’em up, but set in the Night City universe and featuring characters like David Martinez and Lucy. Development was in the R&D phase: the team was testing combat mechanics, working on animations, and assembling the network architecture.
Incidentally, this wasn’t WayForward’s only major title. The studio was simultaneously developing an unannounced project in Unreal Engine 5 and even managed to put together a working demo (vertical slice). However, funding delays led to a wave of layoffs in the fall of 2025. Officials remain silent on whether this crisis was related to the freezing of Project Gemini.
Table of Contents
What is rollback netcode, and why is this technology critical for online fighting games?
WayForward’s developers implemented rollback netcode into Project Gemini—a key feature for any modern fighting game. Simply put, this architecture eliminates input lag and frame drops during online matches.
How does rollback netcode work?
Unlike legacy delay-based netcode, which simply waits for a response from both players and causes annoying freezes, rollback netcode works proactively:
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Input prediction: the system instantly calculates your opponent’s likely next action on your device, without waiting for a network response.
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Instant rollback: if the player’s actual input matches the prediction, the game runs smoothly without a single delay.
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Frame rate correction: if the opponent makes a different action, the algorithm rolls back the game state in a split second and plays the correct animation.
For a dynamic 2.5D fighting game based on Edgerunners, rollback netcode is the only way to make online battles comfortable even with high ping.
Will Project Gemini be released? Development status and release prospects
The main question currently on fans’ minds: is the project still alive? Rumors quickly spread on background forums and social media that CD Projekt RED had completely canceled the game, but these claims should be treated with caution.
What is known about the project’s current status?
Neither CD Projekt RED nor WayForward have officially confirmed the closure of Project Gemini. Portfolio data only indicates that the prototyping phase has been completed or suspended.
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Unconfirmed status: The information about the complete cancellation comes from informal discussions, not from CDPR’s corporate reports.
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Possible reboot: CD Projekt RED is actively expanding the Cyberpunk franchise. Given the success of the Edgerunners anime, the Polish giant may transfer Project Gemini’s development to another internal or third-party studio.
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Upcoming announcements: If the project is indeed alive in some form, the first official news or teasers could appear at festivals like Anime Expo 2026 or closer to the premiere of new media projects in the Cyberpunk universe.
