It took CD Projekt two years to design Phantom Liberty’s Chimera Tank boss fight: ‘We were iterating over and over’
CD Projekt Red’s two-year development journey on Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty’s Chimera Tank boss fight highlights the complexity and scale of modern AAA game design. According to game director Gabe Amatangelo and creative director Igor Sarzyński, the team went through extensive iteration to perfect the encounter.
The Chimera Tank is a Ghost in the Shell-inspired spider tank that players encounter early in Phantom Liberty’s campaign, where V and President Myers battle the massive mechanical boss in a Barghest facility. The sequence serves as the explosive climax of the expansion’s opening act and features some of the most visually striking moments in the game.
The extended development timeline reflects both the technical and artistic ambitions behind the set piece. The boss fight required sophisticated animation work, environmental design, and combat mechanics to deliver the cinematic, high-stakes encounter that defines Phantom Liberty’s opening. One developer noted it represents “one of the most expensive art assets” the studio has ever created, underscoring the substantial resources dedicated to the fight’s visual presentation and technical execution.
The two-year iteration process demonstrates the challenge of balancing gameplay, narrative, and spectacle in modern blockbuster games. Rather than a simple mechanical obstacle, the Chimera Tank encounter needed to feel both narratively significant and engaging from a player perspective, requiring constant refinement and adjustment throughout development.