Releasing Cyberpunk 2077 In Its Poor State “Was For Sure Wrong,” CD Projekt Admits

Reflecting on the highly controversial December 2020 launch of Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt joint-CEO Michał Nowakowski has acknowledged that releasing the role-playing game in such a severely flawed technical state was an undeniable mistake. The game's initial release was plagued by numerous performance issues, prompting thousands of players to request refunds and leading Sony to take the unprecedented step of temporarily removing the title from the PlayStation Store.

In an interview with The Game Business, Nowakowski addressed long-standing theories regarding the motivations behind the troubled launch. He firmly rejected the popular speculation that the studio rushed the game to market to satisfy external investors who were eager for financial returns. Instead, the executive described the decision-making process as far more complex and psychological than a simple response to shareholder demands.

Nowakowski pointed to several internal and external factors that contributed to the game's state at launch, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic played a significant role. He explained that the global health crisis placed a unique strain on the development team, leaving staff exhausted in a different way. Additionally, the studio faced pressure from multiple angles, including external voices urging them to release the game, as well as eager fans who lobbied heavily for its arrival.

The internal pressure within the studio also played a major part in the decision. According to Nowakowski, the developers themselves were eager to push the game out the door simply because the prolonged and grueling development cycle had become incredibly tiring. Looking back at the situation with the benefit of hindsight, the joint-CEO stated unequivocally that the choice to launch when they did was wrong.

The timing of the release on December 10, 2020, had previously fueled speculation that CD Projekt was trying to align with its fiscal year, which ends on December 31. Observers wondered if the studio rushed the game to avoid pushing the release into 2021, a practice not uncommon in the video game industry to meet specific financial deadlines. However, Nowakowski maintained that there were no magical investors dictating the release schedule.

Despite its technical shortcomings at launch, Cyberpunk 2077 achieved massive commercial success immediately, selling nearly 14 million copies right out of the gate. This initial sales surge made it one of the most successful RPG launches in gaming history, resulting in multimillion-dollar bonus payouts for CD Projekt Red executives, alongside substantial bonuses for the development staff.

In the years following the launch, CD Projekt Red dedicated significant resources to improving the game through consistent updates. This effort culminated in 2023 with the release of the massive 2.0 update and the Phantom Liberty expansion, which dramatically overhauled the experience. These long-term post-launch efforts have helped push the game's lifetime sales past the 40 million mark.

Looking ahead, the commercial triumph of Cyberpunk 2077 has paved the way for a sequel, currently referred to as Cyberpunk 2, though the project is still expected to be years away from release. In the meantime, CD Projekt has several other projects on its upcoming slate, including a remastered version of The Witcher 3 scheduled for this year, followed by the Songs of the Past expansion for The Witcher 3 in 2027, and The Witcher 4 in 2028.