Cyberpunk 2077 has been one of the most anticipated games in recent memory, not because of its gameplay (nothing has been released), but due to Witcher developer CD Projekt Red’s involvement with the project. The team’s most recent game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was one of their best received and hottest selling titles in recent years, prompting fans of the RPG to take notice of whatever comes next from CD Projekt Red. From what we’ve seen so far, disappointment doesn’t seem to be on the menu with the developer teasing a far-reaching game world and interesting characters one tends to expect from the trademark.

Creator of the Cyberpunk tabletop games Mike Pondsmith has been very involved with the direction of Cyberpunk 2077 as far back as four years ago when development initially began on the sci-fi video game. In a recent interview with Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Pondsmith opened up for the first time about his experience working with CD Projekt Red and his contributions to the creative team.

At the beginning of the project, I talked to them a lot, every week. For a long time they didn’t realize I’d worked in digital, but I’ve been doing pen and paper for 20 years and digital for fifteen. When I was explaining Cyberpunk to them, I was explaining the mechanics in a way that they understood and that helped them to realize I could contribute more to the actual design.”

The creator of the franchise being involved with an open-world game adaptation has to be heartening for fans, as he’d presumably be the best person to make sure the task was done correctly. Pondsmith went on to share how the developers behind Cyberpunk 2077 plan to adapt the original tabletop game’s pen and paper gameplay mechanics into a modern video game.

A lot of the conversations we’ve had on the team are not ‘can we do this?’ We can do just about anything. Instead, it’s me explaining why I did it in pen and paper, and then we figure out if we need it again, and whether it serves a different purpose in a video game. I know why flying cars are there in the original, but that’s not necessarily the same functionality in 2077. Everything is taken apart in terms of what it does to the game, how it differs from tabletop, and getting the right feel.”

Pondsmith seems to be keeping the franchise he created close to the vest, only implementing aspects of Cyberpunk that would make sense in 2077 and not just for the sake of including them. This may be a good sign of things to come, as it could mean an accurate representation of the original game while also offering the immersive gaming thrills CD Projekt Red is famous for.

What do you think? Are you excited to hear of Mike Pondsmith’s extensive involvement in Cyberpunk 2077 or should no one man have all that power? Did I just make a Kanye reference? Let us know what you think in the comment below and be sure to follow DFTG on Twitter for the latest gaming and entertainment news a hours a day!