Cyberpunk 2077 is arguably one of the most controversial games of the past decade. It was released in December 2020 and received backlash from the entire gaming community for various reasons. Users faced all sorts of technical issues when playing Cyberpunk 2077 on consoles, particularly the base PS4 and Xbox One systems. The PC version fared better, especially on high-end systems, but they too came across several bugs and other problems.
Aside from glitches and technical issues, many gamers claimed that CD Projekt Red lied about the gameplay features of Cyberpunk 2077. It was marketed as a next-generation open-world game with a dense and immersive city. Players stated that many of these features didn’t make it to the final game and some aspects, such as the police system, were broken on launch. CD Projekt’s stock dropped considerably following the game’s release, and a new report now reveals the full extent of this decline.
As reported by Business Insider Poland, CD Projekt’s stock has fallen by more than 75% since the release of Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt was valued at over 40 billion Polish złoty in December 2020, but the company is now worth less than 10 billion. Video Games Chronicle reports that CD Projekt is no longer the most valued video game company in Poland as it lost the crown to Techland, developers of the Dying Light series.
While CD Projekt Red dealt with the after-effects of Cyberpunk 2077’s disastrous launch, Techland enjoyed the success of Dying Light 2. It sold over 5 million copies in its first month despite releasing in a busy period, as Elden Ring and Horizon Forbidden West also launched in February 2022. The Dying Light series has reportedly sold over 25 million units, with the original contributing more than 20 million units to this impressive total.
CD Projekt Red has some exciting games in development as the company focuses on rebuilding trust with the consumer base. The company is working on a current-gen port of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, a Cyberpunk 2077 expansion, and the next saga in The Witcher franchise. The PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of The Witcher 3 are set to release sometime this year, but the next major game seems to be in early development. Despite all the problems CD Projekt Red faced since Cyberpunk 2077’s release, the future seems promising as fans have plenty of games to look forward to in the coming years.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Business Insider Poland (via Video Games Chronicle)