Cyberpunk 2077 Developer Talks About the ‘Negative Reception’ of the Game at Launch; How it Impacted Him and CD Projekt Red

Cyberpunk 2077 has become one of the most revered franchises in gaming. However, it wasn't always the case if you have been following for some time. Cyberpunk 2077 faced arguably one of the most disastrous launches ever. The game was virtually broken during release, especially on last-generation consoles (Xbox Series One and PlayStation 4). This led to players rushing for refunds, including Sony removing it from the PlayStation store.

Ultimately, it wasn’t the most comfortable time for CD Projekt Red. The lead quest designer for Cyberpunk 2077 recently expanded on the situation while explaining how it helped develop Phantom Liberty.

Impact of the Disastrous Cyberpunk 2077 Launch on CD Projekt Red

In an interview with The Gamer, Pawel Sasko spoke about how the game’s disappointing launch affected CD Projekt Red and him. Sasko first addressed Phantom Liberty’s release, stating that it “worked significantly better at its launch” due to CD Projekt Red completely changing the production style for the expansion. This move was “something that couldn’t have been possible if the initial reception of the game wasn’t as negative as it was”. Pasko concludes by stating that the hostile reception changed him and the team as a studio.

Players can see that change, noticing how drastically the game has improved since its launch. Cyberpunk 2077 was a labour of love, and thanks to the developers investing so much time and energy in the game, players could finally have the experience they always wanted. CD Projekt Red then went a step further, introducing Update 2.0 for Cyberpunk 2077, revamping almost all aspects of the game. This also helped the Phantom Liberty DLC to become one of the most loved DLCs in gaming.

Now almost four years after the initial launch of Cyberpunk 2077, no developer is actively working on the game. Instead, CD Projekt Red is now actively working on the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 with the aim to release future games more frequently.