Cinematic lead struggled with Idris Elba's animations

Creating a realistic version of Idris Elba for the game Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty was a big challenge. David Cordero Iglesias, the cinematic animation lead at CD Projekt Red, shared that focusing on Elba's unique eyebrows was particularly tough. He described them as having a "snake shape" and said capturing how Elba moves his face was essential. Iglesias spoke about this during a talk at the Game Developers Conference. He noted that they did not use facial capture for Elba's character, Solomon Reed. Instead, they studied his expressions closely. This process involved collaboration among different departments to ensure the character looked authentic. Despite the difficulties, the hard work paid off. Reviews of the Phantom Liberty expansion have been very positive. It scored nearly perfect ratings, showcasing CD Projekt Red's commitment to detail—eyebrows included. After more than four years since its launch, Cyberpunk 2077 received an 'Overwhelmingly Positive' rating on Steam, a milestone some never expected.