The creators of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 have explained that fan favourite David Martinez will not return in the sequel, despite years of fan demand following the original Netflix series' huge success. Speaking to Polygon at Anime Expo, writer Bartosz Sztybor and producer Saya Elder said their central challenge was resisting the urge to repeat the first season's emotional formula, choosing instead to take creative risks and tell a deliberately different story. The decision signals CD Projekt Red's intent to treat Edgerunners as an evolving property rather than a vehicle for recreating past success.

Sztybor framed the sequel as a mirror image of the original, describing season one as "zero to hero" and season two as "hero to zero", exploring what might happen if David had survived 20 years on. The team revisits the same themes of sacrifice, ambition and family, but reaches different answers through new characters. Elder said she deliberately avoids designing the show around fan wishes, and both creators felt reassured when the first teaser's confirmation of David's death drew a positive response, with fans keen to preserve his legacy. CD Projekt Red is now positioning Edgerunners as an anthology series, with Sztybor citing the Alien films — four movies by four directors, each with a distinct style — as his main inspiration.