Cyberpunk 2077's Chimera Tank Boss Took 2 Years to Perfect

CD Projekt Red spent two years iterating on Phantom Liberty's Chimera Tank boss fight, balancing gameplay, narrative, and art. The result is one of the expansion's most memorable moments.

Ever wonder why that massive spider-tank in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty feels so epic? It turns out CD Projekt Red spent two whole years making sure it was just right.

On the studio's official AnsweRED podcast, game director Gabe Amatangelo and creative director Igor Sarzyński dished on the challenges behind the Chimera Tank boss fight. According to Amatangelo, the encounter was a "nexus point of different disciplines"—gameplay, narrative, art, and worldbuilding all had to come together perfectly. "Sometimes it was too gameplay [focussed], sometimes it was too narrative, sometimes too art direction," he explained. "It was about striking a balance."

The goal? To terrify players with the Chimera's weapons. But with so many moving parts, the team had to go beat-by-beat to get it right. Art director Paweł Mielniczuk revealed that the boss fight alone took two years of iteration. "I think when we were iterating, it was two years to make this boss fight work," he said. The tank went through four different iterations, with changes to equipment and weapons along the way.

And the cost? Sarzyński claimed the Chimera's construction is "one of the most expensive art assets I think ever." That's a lot of eddies for one boss, but it definitely shows in the final product.

If you played Phantom Liberty at launch, you might remember the Chimera as a gruelling challenge—blasting it to bits was no walk in the park. Some, including our own reviewer, felt it could've used a bit more balancing. But love it or hate it, the fight is undeniably memorable.

All this effort is part of why Phantom Liberty is considered one of the best expansions in recent years. And with CD Projekt Red already working on the next Cyberpunk saga, you can bet they're taking notes. Of course, we've got a Witcher 3 expansion, The Witcher 4, and several years before we see the sequel.

What do you think? Was the Chimera Tank worth two years of development? Let us know in the comments!