CD Projekt Spent Two Years Developing Phantom Liberty Chimera Boss Fight

Building the Chimera boss fight in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty took developers two years, and the tank itself was rebuilt four times with changing equipment and weaponry.

Game Director Gabe Amatangelo, Art Director Paweł Mielniczuk, and Creative Director Igor Sarzyński discussed the work on the Chimera on the AnsweRED podcast.

Amatangelo said:

Sometimes, when we create content that brings different disciplines together, as was the case with the Chimera, it becomes a complex process. There is gameplay, narrative, visuals, and world-building. […] We wanted the sound itself to be frightening, to be overwhelming. So that you couldn’t even hear the sounds of gunfire.

Mielniczuk continued:

I think it took us two years to actually get this boss fight to work. Yes. We reworked it over and over again.

According to Amatangelo, the team had to strike a balance between gameplay, narrative, and visuals. Mielniczuk added:

I think we made this tank four times, changing its equipment and weaponry every time. This is probably one of the most expensive art assets in history.

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