Fans of Cyberpunk 2077 were left rather disappointed this week when it was announced that the new massive AAA game from CD Projekt Red was being delayed. The new also coincided with the admittance that the developer would need to use some “crunch” to get the game out the door by the new launch window. The new September launch date gives the developer time to further polish and optimize the game, for both console and PC versions.
This all came after the developer said they wouldn’t give in to pressure and put undue strain on employees, or force them into unfair agreements. Crucially, those statements came at a time when Riot Games was getting heat for arbitration clauses and a toxic internal culture. CD Projekt said they would not go down that route, and would help protect employees from such negative aspects. CD Projekt has also said that the company would not rely on greedy monetization schemes to make a profit on Cyberpunk 2077. Hopefully that still holds true.
What else changed?
CD Projekt Red has now also announced something new, which is sure to disappoint some fans. The multiplayer component of the game will have to be pushed a little further back than some people will like. During a Q&A session with investors, the topic of multiplayer support came up. The good news is that it’s still in the works. However, CD Projekt Red doesn’t intend to introduce it until sometime after 2021.
SVP of business development Michael Nowakowski elaborated, saying that those working on the game and it’s various bits knows “where we stand” with development. This could mean any number of things though, hopefully it translates to a consistently smooth dev cycle and not more delays.
The development team is actually split between these two projects. The multiplayer component for Cyberpunk 2077 will be developed and released separately from the main game, giving the company time to work out any bugs or other issues. This approach worked exceedingly well for the team at Rockstar behind GTA Online, the major money-spinner for the franchise.
Cyberpunk 2077 is due out on September 17, 2020 for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
