Cyberpunk 2077 finds itself in a rather interesting situation as fans head deeper into 2021. With Anthem's reboot/relaunch canceled, CD Projekt Red's latest project is getting attention for a different reason than what's become the norm. All of a sudden, Cyberpunk 2077 is the last game standing when it comes to a title that could be set up for a redemption arc through extended development support.
That's both a positive and a negative. It's likely already been established that Cyberpunk 2077 will never be the game fans hoped, though that doesn't mean it's doomed to fail. That doesn't mean it can't eventually become a very good game in the long run. However, if the game wants to begin that redemption arc, it's probably not going to be able to do it with renewed development.
Bug Fixes Won't Be Enough For Cyberpunk
CD Projekt Red is working on starting Cyberpunk 2077's comeback. After a troubled launch that eventually led to Cyberpunk 2077 being pulled from the Sony PlayStation Store, the developers have promised the public they'll get it right. However, even the company's attempts at getting it right haven't seemingly gone to plan. Plans to try and release a big patch were originally set for the beginning of 2021. Then that fix was delayed until the summer, after which the company suffered a ransomware attack that CD Projekt Red say has delayed the big patch even more.
Cyberpunk 2077 fans have since started venting about the game's problems. Some even think the company is faking some of its external problems because it needs more time to deliver fixes, which is hard to believe. Anthem might not have followed the roadmap it laid out, but it's possible it still paved the way for CDPR. It's possible that trying to patch things here or there isn't going to do the job anymore. Stepping all the way back, telling the public the developers need more time, and announcing a Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 - or Cyberpunk Next - might be the best way to go about things.
A Cyberpunk 2077 Comeback Is Still Possible
Electronic Arts might not have pulled it off with Anthem, but that doesn't mean CD Projekt Red can't. Hello Games set the precedent for a game having a rocky launch, only to make a strong comeback. There was a time when No Man's Sky was considered one of the more disappointing games out there. Hello Games admitted it understood why players thought it needed to go back to the drawing board. Eventually, the company offered a relaunched version of the title. In December of last year, No Man's Sky won the title of Best Ongoing Game at The Game Awards, just over five years after it first launched.
Obviously, there's no guarantee Cyberpunk 2077 can follow the same path. It will take some serious dedication to get things right. The good news there is that CDPR took its previous big game, The Witcher 3 from a decent game that users claimed had some serious problems, to one of the biggest hits of the last generation. Of course, the company didn't have to try and pull an Anthem Next type re-launch for The Witcher 3. The development team will have its work cut out for it, but Cyberpunk 2077 can come back stronger.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.