CD Projekt Admits Cyberpunk 2077 Launch Was 'For Sure Wrong'

CD Projekt Red's joint-CEO reflects on the disastrous launch of Cyberpunk 2077, admitting it was a mistake while denying investor pressure was the cause.

Remember the chaos when Cyberpunk 2077 finally dropped in December 2020? If you were one of the unlucky ones on last-gen consoles, you probably haven't forgotten the glitches, crashes, and outright broken promises. It got so bad that Sony pulled the game from the PlayStation Store, and refunds were handed out like candy. Now, years later, CD Projekt Red's joint-CEO, Michał Nowakowski, has come clean: launching the game in that state was "for sure wrong."

In a recent chat with The Game Business, Nowakowski didn't sugarcoat it. "The decision to launch was for sure wrong, period. There is no denying it," he said. But here's the twist—he's pushing back on the popular theory that the studio rushed it out to satisfy hungry investors. Instead, he describes a more complex, psychological mess.

So, what really happened? Nowakowski points to COVID as a major factor. "The team was getting exhausted in a different way," he explained. The pandemic threw a wrench into everything, making development even more draining. But it wasn't just external pressure; the developers themselves were itching to ship it. "People outside telling us we should launch," he said, and fans were clamoring for it too. The team "wanted to push it out the door" because the endless development cycle was "really tiring." It sounds like a perfect storm of fatigue and hype.

Now, about those investors—Nowakowski insists there were no magical money-hungry bosses forcing the release. "There were no magical investors telling us, 'You have to get this out,'" he said. Instead, he calls it "much more complicated and psychological." The timing, right before the fiscal year ended on December 31, 2020, certainly raised eyebrows. But he's adamant it wasn't about hitting a financial deadline.

Despite the disastrous launch, Cyberpunk 2077 was a commercial juggernaut from day one. It sold nearly 14 million copies immediately, making it one of the best-selling RPGs ever. Execs and devs alike pocketed hefty bonuses. And after years of patches and the game-changing 2.0 update in 2023, the game has now sold over 40 million copies. Not too shabby for a game that was once pulled from digital shelves.

With that kind of success, it's no wonder CD Projekt is already working on Cyberpunk 2, though that's likely years away. In the meantime, we've got The Witcher 3's remaster this year, a new expansion in 2027, and The Witcher 4 in 2028. So, what do you think—does Nowakowski's explanation ring true, or do you still smell investor pressure? And will you be diving back into Night City for the sequel?