Arguably one of the most anticipated releases left in 2020 is Cyberpunk 2077, a game which has had a lengthy development period and suffered multiple delays. Cyberpunk has understandably received a lot of publicity over the past few months as the game nears its launch date thanks to new information, gameplay trailers, and other reveals. However, the title has recently come under fire after it was revealed that the company has to resort to crunch in order to make it to the finish line.
The news originally broke from Jason Schreier, who received a tip from a member of the studio. While the studio remained quiet on the topic, an email surfaced from CDPR management indicating that it was instituting a studio-wide six day work week in order to get the game ready for its November launch. The report directly undermines a previous confirmation that the studio would be avoiding mandatory crunch, something that has previously plagued CD Projekt RED.
Once the report broke, the company began trending on social media for the wrong reasons. Hours later, Adam Badowski, the head of CD Projekt RED, took to Twitter to address the situation. Responding directly to Shreier's report, Badowski confirmed the new crunch mandate and attempted to justify its importance. He noted that the final 6 weeks of development are the final sprint on the project and that the majority of the team, who cares deeply for Cyberpunk 2077, understands the need for the extra push.
Badowski goes on to admit that the decision was one of the hardest he's had to make, especially since the company has recently sent Cyberpunk 2077 to be certified by Sony and Microsoft. While the employees will be compensated for the overtime work, a requirement under Polish law, and 10% of the annual profits will be split directly among the team, it's clear that not every employee feels as though Badowski does. Leaking internal documents to the press indicates that there are at least a few people unhappy with the change in direction.
The subject of crunch has always been a controversial topic and is something that has seemingly appeared more often in reports and allegations against many popular studios. Just this year, Naughty Dog came under fire over a reported history of intense crunch culture, only made worse by the challenges of The Last of Us 2. The topic has also reached major studios like Rockstar Games, Blizzard, and even Telltale Games. While the pushback against this work-life balance damaging culture remains strong, it remains a big issue that may not have a total solution any time soon.
Cyberpunk 2077 releases November 19 for PC, PS4, Stadia Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.