CD Projekt Red’s Cryptic Tease: Did Cyberpunk 2077 Devs Accidentally Invent Presidential Time Travel?

CD Projekt Red (CDPR), the renowned developers behind Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher series, has once again set the internet alight with a bizarrely timed and heavily debated in-universe communication. The new teaser, posted across official social channels, features a message from NUSA President Rosalind Myers—a key figure from the Phantom Liberty expansion—that appears to defy the established lore of Night City by dating itself nearly 40 years too early. This deliberate anachronism has sparked intense speculation over what the AAA game development studio is truly teasing.

The message calls for “brave netrunners” to defend the N.U.S.A. against a “mounting cybersecurity threat” and invites applicants to take a “recruitment test.” However, the message is dated September 4, 2025. In the Cyberpunk 2077 universe, Rosalind Myers doesn’t become the President of the New United States of America until 2065, making her appearance in our current timeline an apparent paradox. This has led to humorous theories of presidential time travel and more serious speculation about an impending Alternate Reality Game (ARG) or a deeper connection to the game’s core themes.

The Core Mystery: A 40-Year Timeline Anomaly

The contradiction is central to the conversation. President Myers, as seen by players like V in the game’s main 2077 setting, is a veteran politician. Her established backstory places her rise to power decades after the 2025 date cited in the teaser. CD Projekt Red is famously meticulous with lore, making a simple typo or continuity error highly unlikely. This suggests the time-shift is an intentional narrative device aimed at the highly engaged fanbase, a move that is intrinsically linked to high-value gaming news and a push for high engagement metrics.

• The Tease: A recruitment message from NUSA President Rosalind Myers.
• The Anomaly: The message is dated September 4, 2025, yet Myers doesn’t become President until 2065 in the established Cyberpunk lore.
• Developer’s Clarification: A CDPR community manager has confirmed the tease is “not the DLC and it’s not the patch,” dampening hopes for a major Cyberpunk 2077 Update.

More Than a Patch: ARG, Sequel, or Anniversary Celebration?

With a major game update or a second expansion ruled out by CDPR staff, the focus of speculation shifts to three primary areas. This strategic ambiguity is a masterclass in digital marketing and fan mobilization, maximizing the ROI on a single social media post.

1. The Alternate Reality Game (ARG) Hypothesis

Many fans believe the call to “take our recruitment test” is the opening salvo for a complex Alternate Reality Game. ARGs are marketing tools that use real-world media and online puzzles to unveil information about a product. This would fit the “cybersecurity threat” theme perfectly, inviting real-world netrunners (players) to solve in-universe ciphers and puzzles that could lead to a minor reveal or even subtle story elements that bridge the gap between Cyberpunk lore and our reality. This tactic ensures maximum fan engagement and organic spread through high-traffic forums like Reddit and Discord, essential for any modern video game marketing campaign.

2. A Celebration of Phantom Liberty**

In a follow-up statement, CD Projekt Red clarified that the post was simply part of an activity tied to the Phantom Liberty expansion’s anniversary. This reveal, though disappointing to those expecting new content, recontextualizes the post as an elaborate, in-character celebration of the expansion’s spy-thriller theme. The use of President Myers in a communication dated to the past may simply be a fun, lore-bending way to emphasize the theme of espionage and the destabilization of timelines or information—a clear nod to the plot of Phantom Liberty.

3. An Indirect Tease for Project Orion**

While a direct sequel reveal (Project Orion) is years away, as the studio is primarily focused on The Witcher IV, the recruitment angle could be a brilliant, subtle piece of long-term marketing. By calling for “netrunners,” CDPR is subtly reinforcing the core themes and classes that will undoubtedly be central to the next Cyberpunk installment. It keeps the Cyberpunk IP fresh in the minds of players who are also highly sought-after developers. Using in-universe branding for job listings is a trademark move that leverages the brand’s cult status for both talent acquisition and market hype, ensuring the sequel’s eventual launch commands premium CPC (Cost Per Click) rates.

Editorial Take: The Art of the Tease

The President Myers time-travel paradox is a testament to CD Projekt Red’s commitment to community interaction, even if it’s a playful misdirection. While the Phantom Liberty anniversary explanation cools the most fervent theories of new DLC, the developers have successfully manufactured a moment of mass speculation. In the digital age of multiplayer gaming and relentless news cycles, an unanswered question is often more valuable than a definitive answer. This cryptic post ensures Cyberpunk 2077 and the CDPR brand remain high in the minds of the target demographic, cementing its status as one of the most talked-about franchises in the open-world RPG space. The mystery of the time-shifted President Myers will likely live on as another fun piece of Night City legend.