More than 3 years since its disastrous launch, Cyberpunk 2077 CEO says he's "finally happy" with the RPG

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Idris Elba
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)

Over three years after a disastrous launch, Cyberpunk 2077's developer is now "finally happy" with the state of the RPG.

Cyberpunk 2077's bug-riddled and graphically rough launch might feel like it's far off in the rearview mirror now, but it's no doubt still a sore memory for many, developers and player included. Sony delisted Cyberpunk 2077 from the PSN after launch in late 2020, while Microsoft adjusted its refund policy so anyone could get a refund for Cyberpunk 2077, no questions asked. 

In a new investor briefing, CD Projekt chief strategy officer Adam Kiciński revealed that Cyberpunk 2077 is now being carried by just 17 developers. "We are finally happy - since last year - with the state of the game; both the base game and Phantom Liberty - the latter from the very beginning of course, so it's enough," Kiciński said of the game and the shrunken development team.

It's hard to overstate how bad Cyberpunk 2077's original launch in December 2020 was. After many years of increasing anticipation, the RPG was barely able to run coherently on last-gen consoles, leading to CD Projekt to apologize multiple times for the state of the game. 

Things really started turning around for Cyberpunk 2077 last year in 2023, with the launch of the hefty Cyberpunk 2077 update 2.1 completely overhauling aspects of the game, including combat and driving, and the triumphant arrival of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty on PC and new-gen consoles to an overwhelmingly positive response from players.

In the immediate future for CD Projekt, now that Cyberpunk 2077 is winding down, we know that The Witcher 4 is in the works, as well as Cyberpunk 2077 sequel Orion, the latter of which is being developed primarily in CD Projekt's brand new studio in Boston. 

Cyberpunk 2077 quest lead says CDPR has explored AI generation, but bots just can't compare to writers: "The gap in quality, specifically, is huge."

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.

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