Makers of Cyberpunk 2077 Lose Billions
It should have been a game that defined a decade. In development for nearly eight years, Cyberpunk 2077 should have been this console generation's Skyrim - a game still widely loved and adored across the generations. Sadly, due to a series of mis-steps, the game has failed on any measurable level. And that failure has cost the development company, CD Projekt Red, dearly.
A Sunny Start
Cyberpunk 2077's original release date was April 16, 2020; intended to coincide with the release of the tabletop RPG created with the same setting, Cyberpunk RED. But CDPR delayed the game several times, finally releasing it on December 10 after fan outcry. At first, things looked great. The early reviews (all on PC) couldn't stop gushing over the graphics, the gameplay, the storytelling. CDPR themselves announced that they had recouped all of their development costs on Day 1 of release - a goal many game developers aspire to, but few achieve.
A Darkening Turn
But things quickly soured as the general public began playing. It turns out, the reason CDPR only gave reviewers PC codes is because the game couldn't run on anything other than a high-level desktop computer. PS4, PS5, and Xbox users reported multiple bugs and performance issues; including game-breaking problems such as corrupted save files if a character's inventory got too large. After eight years of development time, gamers expected more. A lot more.
CDPR issued an apology, instructing gamers who wanted a refund to ask for one. But not from CDPR; from whichever storefront they'd purchased the game from.
Angry Partners
Such a promise irritated Sony, the company which produces the Playstation and maintains an electronic storefront through which gamers can purchase and download games. CDPR had promised something on their behalf, and Sony felt the company had overstepped. Sony responded by issuing their own promise for a refund, and then took things a step further. They announced that, until they were confident CDPR could patch all the broken content in their game, they would remove Cyberpunk 2077 from their electronic store. Such a move is historic in video games, a triple-A title has never been delisted, no matter how buggy it was on launch day. Microsoft and Steam, for Xbox and PC respectively, soon issued similar offers.
Aftermath
Cyberpunk 2077's failed release is costing CDPR dearly. Not only must the developer pay back hundreds (if not thousands) of dissatisfied gamers, possibly reversing their Launch Day windfall, the value of the company itself has plummeted. Bloomberg estimates the company's four founders, Adam Kicinski, Piotr Nielubowicz, Marcin Iwinski, and Michal Kicinski, all lost over a billion dollars apiece. Short-sellers further damaged the company's stock, seeking to profit off the downturn.
The company has promised to patch the game by February, but much of the damage is done. The majority of gamers no longer trust CDPR, and they're going to have to work hard to win that trust back, for both Cyberpunk 2077 and whatever title they wish to develop next.