Opera GX for Cyberpunk Fans, in Two Sprints.

'Paul's work for the mod was excellent, and we valued his flexibility. His quick problem-solving skills were invaluable during testing.' — Vasco Bernardo, Global Influencer Marketing Manager at Opera

On April 10, 2024, Opera GX and CD PROJEKT RED unveiled the first official Cyberpunk 2077 browser mod, a collaboration aimed at immersing 25 million Cyberpunk fans directly into the depths of Night City using their web browsers. Developing the Live Wallpaper for this mod was a wonderful opportunity as both Opera and CD PROJEKT RED prioritize aesthetics and user experience.

However, how do you transform 2.3 GB of high-res images into a fast-loading, quality Live Wallpaper that stays captivating over time in Opera GX?

CD PROJEKT RED's Cyberpunk 2077 original art renders.

Bridging the Gap Between Art and Technology

Upon joining the project in late December 2023, we were greeted with CD PROJEKT RED's stunning visuals. Opera GX boasted a comprehensive ecosystem featuring GameMaker, GX.create, and GX.store, facilitating the distribution of Live Wallpapers to Opera GX's Speed dial. With these resources in hand, we approached the project systematically, employing the Double Diamond sprint method. Here's how:

Sprint One: Awakening Night City

Discover We delved into CD PROJEKT RED's assets, Cyberpunk 2077's world, and Opera's ecosystem, experimenting with Blender and Shadertoy. Dynamic vapor quickly became an obvious improvement, adding depth and movement to the cityscape.

Define We scoped out promising avenues. Adding atmospheric effects became a pretty good idea, embracing the depth channel for more realistic effects. Additionally, Opera desired four times of day, along with a parallax effect, to enhance interactivity and the immersive experience.

Develop We refined vapor shaders and introduced dynamic wallpaper transitions in GameMaker. Although lens effects added realism, loading times remained a concern. As artistic direction gained importance, we enabled image adjustments via exposed parameters in response to client requests during prototyping.

Deploy Optimization became our focus. We streamlined loading and polished shaders for Opera GX Browser. Additionally, we introduced a wider array of customization options. Night City pulsated to life, yet Opera yearned for further enhancements, propelling us into Sprint Two.

Sprint Two: Evolving Night City

During the second sprint, we aimed to boost interactivity by incorporating dynamic elements like rotating banners, moving cars, and hovering aircraft. Additionally, we expanded customization options while upgrading the touchpoint's overall quality.

Teaming up with Opera GX to bring Cyberpunk 2077 to their platform was an incredible experience. Their efficient workflow made publishing effortless. While there's always room for improvement, we're excited to implement lessons learned in future collaborations.

"Live wallpaper featuring V in Night City alongside his Quadra Turbo-R V-Tech that can react to the time of day, with customized vapor color, glow, and glare effects — experience a lonely and rainy Night City or its colorful neon lights during a bustling nighttime" - press.opera.com

As of April 20, 2024, this browser mod has reached over 300k installations, showcasing its popularity among users eager to dive into the cybernetic world of Night City.

Special thanks to: Vasco Bernardo, Maciej Kocemba, Gavin Smart, Alan Morris, and Monika Trippenbach for their support and for tackling the challenges with us.

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