Not only did Cyberpunk 2077 get off to a rough start, but it hasn't gotten better press nearly a year after launch. It began with a slew of delays followed by a faulty launch. In response, its developer-publisher CD Projekt Red attempted to do damage control and remedy the situation by releasing a roadmap of 2021. To its credit, the developer did "deliver" on the patches in that they did happen, but whether or not they've resolved the majority of the issues with the base game is debatable.
Also listed on the roadmap, the only two things set to release in the second half of 2021, were free DLCs for Cyberpunk 2077 and the PS4 and Xbox Series X/S ports. Again, what "free DLC" meant was left up for interpretation. Did this include a number of gameplay elements seemingly cut for time? New armor, weapons, and ammo? It's unlikely that the "free" DLC would include new story content, following V where Cyberpunk 2077 left off, but some theorize that CDPR may not charge to appease fans after the poor state of launch. Whatever the case, it's important that it lives up to the expectations it set for itself and delivers that DLC by the end of this year.
The Causes of Cyberpunk 2077's Downfall
Prior to its launch, Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the most anticipated games for several years, especially after it released an impressive demo at the E3 2018 conference. But then it would go on to be delayed a number of times, one of the first instances to put off fans and make the gaming community suspicious of what was actually going on behind the scenes. This culminating skepticism was corroborated when fans heard of the studio's intense, mandatory crunch schedule, something CDPR had denied would be a reality about a year prior to implementing it.
Then, review copies were sent out to media folks and the like. Or rather, they were supposed to, but many publications reported that they had not received codes until about five days before Cyberpunk 2077's scheduled release date, an oddity for massive open-world games presumed to be dozens of hours in length. When sites and other professionals in the gaming industry finally did receive those review codes, they were only on PC. This heightened suspicions even further; after all, if Cyberpunk 2077's performance was "surprisingly good" on last-gen consoles, according to CEO Adam Kacinski just weeks before, then it was curious why the studio didn't ship any PS4 or Xbox One copies to reviewers.
The motive behind this decision became clear after Cyberpunk 2077's disastrous launch, with some of the worst reception being that some weren't able to play the game on last-gen consoles at all. For those that were, Cyberpunk would crash, fail to render textures like the faces of NPCs, and see drastic dips in frame rates, and the bugs ruined the game.
But the cycle continued, and CDPR enacted a messy plan to fully refund Cyberpunk 2077 players, but this went against PlayStation's refund policy, resulting in the long-term removal of the game from Sony's online storefront.
The point here is that CD Projekt Red has a reputation for a lack of transparency and handled the aftermath poorly. It's worth mentioning that the developer has since stated that it'll take its marketing more seriously and ensure that this doesn't happen again in the future. However, if it fails to deliver DLC on time and delays it just like what happened with Cyberpunk 2077, the gaming community could lose all hope for future projects from the developer.
The Effects of CD Projekt Red Failing to Meet Expectations
After launch and the terrible reception that came with it, CDPR had no choice but to promise it would work to solve the issues presented by last-gen consoles, ultimately meaning it had to put off DLCs and native next-gen ports until Cyberpunk 2077 was in a playable state for its current platforms. The development studio announced a roadmap for Cyberpunk 2077, which, while pretty vague, has lived up to so far.
However, fans are once again concerned about Cyberpunk 2077 and its current state of development. Patch 1.31 released a month ago, but CDPR has been radio silent since. Luckily, some savvy fans have been able to dig up hints towards content possibly scheduled to release with the free DLC such as New Game+ as well as the next-gen versions, but no official word has come from the development studio itself. This is concerning as there are only two and a half months left in the year. While CDPR could simply drop the DLC and announce it at the same time, and perhaps it has plans to release the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions on Cyberpunk's anniversary, its current practice echoes the same nontransparent marketing tactics that partially landed it in hot water in the first place.
Cyberpunk 2077 won't be the end of the development studio. CD Projekt Red has been spotting hiring for a new open-world game, and it's unlikely the project is at all related to Cyberpunk 2077. This means the developer is looking ahead, despite the lawsuits around Cyberpunk it currently faces. But if it continuously fails to meet expectations, especially those it's setting for itself, not just in terms of release dates but the quality of its games, trust from the gaming community will continue to dwindle. Sure, there will likely always be fans, especially those accrued through the astounding Witcher 3, waiting in wake for the studio's next game, eager to play it. But CDPR's reputation has changed because of Cyberpunk 2077, and it will only get worse unless it fulfills its promises.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions currently in development.