Cyberpunk 2077 lead reminds everyone cut content is "unused for a reason"

Cyberpunk 2077 mods
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red / keanuWheeze)

Cyberpunk 2077's quest director has commented on cut content surrounding not just CD Projekt's game, but all games in general.

As first reported by PCGamesN earlier this week, Cyberpunk 2077 quest director Pawel Sasko hosted another livestream on his personal Twitch channel, where he regularly fields questions from viewers. This time, the topic turned to cut content, or rather, as Sasko prefers to call it, "unused content."

"Unused content is unused for a reason," Sasko says. "When you're actually making the game, your responsibility as a designer is to make all of those calls about what actually gets into your game," the quest director continues. As a senior developer on Cyberpunk 2077, Sasko likely had the deciding vote on plenty of unused content.

"When the quality is not there, you can see that there's no way to bring it up to [the same quality of] the nine out of ten quests, or locations, or gameplay features," Sasko continued. "I think it's really important to remember this: if something is unused, this is done for a reason."

Cut content has been a subject on the tongue's of gamers for years, especially given the rise of dataminers, who will routinely delve into a game to find what they determine to be "cut content." A great example with Cyberpunk 2077 is a metro system, which was found in the game's files, and eventually enabled by modders after months of hard work.

Sasko clearly wants everyone to remember that "unused content" is left on the cutting room floor by design, not by accident. If dataminers do just happen to find what you might think is a fantastic features left in a game's files, bear in mind that it might not have been so fantastic from the perspective of the game's developers.

Recently for CD Projekt's RPG, the developer recently revealed Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is in the "final production phase," and we'll be hearing more about it later this year in June. These new comments from Sasko will be really important to keep in mind especially after the launch of the new DLC expansion at some point in the future. 

Here's why we want Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty to fill the LA Noire-shaped hole in our lives after all these years. 

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.

Read more
The Witcher 3
Cyberpunk sequel's associate director reveals the "hardest quest I have ever designed and implemented" is in The Witcher 3: "I was losing my mind and my sleep"
The Witcher 3
"I really hate how we did it": The Witcher 3 quest lead says there are parts of the iconic RPG he still wishes he could "time travel and fix"
Fallout 3
Fallout creator Tim Cain says devs don't know what gamers want because "you don't know either" and that's why he used to just make games he and his team liked
Starfield space combat, with a distant vessel exploding
Former Starfield dev says the space RPG "could have existed without those" surplus loading screens, with many added after he left production
Skyrim
Fallout and RPG veteran Josh Sawyer says most players don't want games "6 times bigger than Skyrim or 8 times bigger than The Witcher 3"
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty screenshots
If Night City is the "main antagonist" of Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 4's Continent could easily follow suit
Latest in RPG
harry holding a molotov as kim stands by, hands in pockets - he's so cool
After a landmark RPG, Disco Elysium mobile wants to "captivate the TikTok user," which is maybe the worst thing I've ever read in my entire life
The Legend of Vox Machina
If you're craving more D&D after Baldur's Gate 3, Critical Role is "hard at work" on a video game – and it'll be unveiled "any day" now
Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3 Astarion actor Neil Newbon says he "got rid of" agents who deliberately kept him away from video game gigs: "They just didn't want me to do it"
Mass Effect
Jennifer Hale says she didn't see a single line as Mass Effect's Commander Shepard until it was time to record: "It was all cold reading on the spot"
Baldur's Gate 3 screenshot of a boss turned to gold surrounded by blood
5,000 gold, 2,500 hours, and one priceless scroll: Baldur's Gate 3 player cooks up a "Midas run" by turning the RPG's bosses into solid gold trophies, because "why not"
Stardew Valley Baldur's Gate 3 mod Baldur's Village
Stardew Valley player bringing a bit of Baldur's Gate 3 to ConcernedApe's farming sim, now with Larian's seal of approval, says they've played over 1,500 hours and will improve the mod
Latest in News
harry holding a molotov as kim stands by, hands in pockets - he's so cool
After a landmark RPG, Disco Elysium mobile wants to "captivate the TikTok user," which is maybe the worst thing I've ever read in my entire life
Screenshot from PowerWash Simulator 2, showing two jet washers spraying one dirty wooden house.
After 3 years and 44,327 overwhelmingly positive Steam reviews, viral hit PowerWash Simulator is finally getting a sequel complete with split-screen co-op
Nintendo Store NYC
After 20 years, a second Nintendo Store is set to open in the US this May
Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk in Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again fans would love this Marvel character to appear, even if it's extremely unlikely
an rpg character fishing with a fishing rod sword
Dev of unhinged open-world game where you parry everything says "f*** it" again, adds something farming life sims like Stardew Valley need: a way to fight the fish you catch
Seldeg against the backdrop of the Pathfinder 2E Claws of the Tyrant adventure book cover
Pathfinder 2E RPG: Claws of the Tyrant Adventure is available to preorder at a discount