Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the most anticipated games of 2020, so at first it probably comes as no surprise to hear that it is selling well. That is, until one remembers the dramatic launch that it had, which ended up resulting in it being removed from the PlayStation store entirely. Whether it is a testament to the hype surrounding the game or the game itself, CD Projekt Red recently revealed impressive sales figures for its latest title. Cyberpunk 2077 sold 13.7 million copies by the end of 2020, and considering it released in December of that year, that's very impressive.
This data comes from Daniel Ahmad, a Senior Analyst at Niko Partners that frequently covers video game sales statistics. Alongside this impressive standalone sales achievement, Ahmad also sheds light on some other facets of Cyberpunk 2077's disastrous yet successful launch. As CD Projekt Red continues to work to fix the game and make it playable for all, these sales figures could continue to increase.
According to Ahmad's research, 56% (7.67 million) of copies were sold on PC, 28% (3.84 million) of copies were sold on PS4, and 17% (2.33 million) of copies were sold on Xbox One. Of these sales, 73% (10 million) of Cyberpunk 2077 copies were sold digitally. This means that only 27% of players purchased a physical copy of Cyberpunk 2077. When considering that the game was pulled from the PlayStation store, this becomes even more surprising, as PlayStation players would have had to purchase physical copies in order to play the game after that point.
Moving forward, more sales are expected for Cyberpunk 2077 as the next generation versions of the game are fast approaching. PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of Cyberpunk 2077 are set to release sometime during H2 2021 (the second half of the fiscal year), and this will certainly see another surge in sales. By then many of the issues that plagued the game at launch will likely have been resolved, and the game may even make a return to the PS Store as well.
Business Analyst Mike Futter makes another intriguing point from the recent data release. According to him, CD Projekt Red spent a grand total of $2.17 million USD on refunds after the game's launch. While that may seem like a lot, it is a drop in the bucket when compared to the massive net profits it made of $303 million USD. Public image may have been harmed by the necessity of refunds, but in terms of raw finances it doesn't seem to have had much of an effect.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available now on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, and later on PS5 and Xbox Series X.