Several days ago, a rumor from an established leaker claimed that Cyberpunk 2077 will once again be delayed and will instead release in 2021 as opposed to its scheduled launch date of December 10, 2020. It is worth noting that Cyberpunk 2077 has been delayed a total of three times before the studio settled on the late 2020 launch date.
After the rumor made the rounds online, developer CD Projekt Red released a statement saying that Cyberpunk 2077 will release as scheduled. Of course, the studio's response to the rumor brought some reassurance to fans who have been patiently waiting for the game to be released. However, it is worth noting that CD Projekt Red has also made the same promise before, only for the studio to break it with the game's mostrecent delay. Now, assuming that Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't meet its December release date, what are the consequences, and how will it impact CD Projekt Red?
Another Delay Will Permanently Damage CD Projekt Red's Reputation
Ever since Cyberpunk 2077's announcement, fans have eagerly anticipated the game's release due to the promise of a vast open-world environment set in the futuristic metropolis of Night City. The past couple of delays to the game were mostly met with understanding from fans. Many view it as a sign that the studio is taking its time with Cyberpunk 2077 and is carefully developing it to a high-level of quality is expected from a CD Projekt Red game.
Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the latest delay of Cyberpunk 2077, which pushed its release from November to December of 2020. Although the postponement of the Cyberpunk 2077 is merely 21 days, some players weren't happy with the way CD Projekt Red keeps promising a release date that it couldn't meet. Of course, there are many elements to consider as to why CD Projekt Red is having a hard time relating Cyberpunk 2077, but with the latest delay, the studio revealed that it was due to shipping problems and other issues with the current-gen versions of the game.
With CD Projekt Red going out of its way to deny the rumors, the stakes of releasing Cyberpunk 2077 as scheduled are now higher than ever before. Denying the rumor is, in a way, an indirect promise that Cyberpunk 2077 will meet its December release date, but should anything go wrong, the studio will definitely receive a higher amount of backlash than before. It is worth noting that disgruntled fans sent threatening letters to CD Projekt Red developers after its last delay announcement. While there is no justifiable reason to get that aggressive over a video game, another delay could cause permanent damage to the eventual sales performance of Cyberpunk 2077 and the once stellar reputation of CD Projekt Red.
CD Projekt Red's Stock May Plummet Further
Another delay to Cyberpunk 2077's release may hurt CD Projekt Red's financials on the business side of things. Shortly after the game's third postponement announcement, a report revealed that CD Projekt Red's stock value had plummeted 25% from its peak last August. The company's share price peaked during the announcement of a new Witcher mobile game, and its market cap was around PLN 42.4 billion or €9.6 billion based on a price of PLN 461 per share. However, its current standing is now at €7.2 billion, which equates to a decline of 25% or €2.5 billion. Analysts believe that between the two-month period, the decline is mostly due to the reports of crunch within the studio and the uncertainty surrounding the development of Cyberpunk 2077.
Given this, the studio stands to lose more should Cyberpunk 2077 fails to meet its target release date of December 2020. Some financial experts agree that the sooner CD Projekt Red releases Cyberpunk 2077, the greater the chance for the company to recoup its losses and make a huge profit out of the game. It is worth noting that despite the setbacks, Cyberpunk 2077 is still one of the most highly-anticipated games for this year, and CD Projekt Red is even confident that the game will do well and expects at least a 90 score on Metacritic. Hopefully, CD Projekt Red will be able to push through with Cyberpunk 2077's release next month because failing to do so could result in permanent damage to its reputation and financial standing.
Cyberpunk 2077 releases December 10th for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions in development.