It is no secret that CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 suffered from one of the biggest launch catastrophes in recent time. Not only was the game delayed multiple times after being in development for nearly a decade, but when it was finally released, the game was riddled with bugs, glitches, and performance issues.
Despite its good reviews on the PC, most problems were found in the console versions of the games, particularly on the PS4 and Xbox One, forcing Sony to remove Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store. However, it has been nearly four months since CD Project Red released Cyberpunk 2077, and since then, the developer has already released several patches, with last week's update 1.2 being the latest. But what is the state of Cyberpunk 2077 right now? And will updates and post-launch DLC erase its troubled launch?
Cyberpunk 2077's Status Today and Rumors of Post-Launch DLC
When CD Projekt Red first released Cyberpunk 2077, the developer immediately followed it up with a day one update that was nearly 30GB in size. Although update 1.02 was able to solve several issues, it couldn't bring Cyberpunk 2077 to a playable state, especially on last-gen consoles. Several days ago, CD Projekt Red released the 1.2 update, which was again able to fix more bugs and issues. Overall, players on the PS4 and Xbox One reported smoother gameplay, more stable frame rates, and better loading times.
However, the latest update isn't perfect, given that there are still some glaring issues that are yet to be addressed. Although some players on the PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X reported little to no improvement after installing update 1.2, it is worth mentioning that the latest fix is able to make the game more playable than it was at launch.
Additionally, before the launch of the latest update, a rumor broke online about the possibility of post-launch content, which will reportedly introduce cut content back into Cyberpunk 2077. Users reported having seen blank listings of what appears to be post-launch content for Cyberpunk 2077. Unfortunately, CD Projekt Red clarified that these particular listings are not the final names for upcoming add-on content. However, this doesn't mean that Cyberpunk 2077 will not be receiving content expansions, given that CDPR already confirmed its 2021 roadmap that will include free DLCs for Cyberpunk 2077.
Can CD Projekt Red Save Cyberpunk 2077? Or Is It Too Late?
The question now is, will these patches and future content expansions be able to save Cyberpunk 2077? Unfortunately, the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Cyberpunk 2077 may never live up to the standards players expect. It is worth noting that CDPR has since admitted that last-gen consoles were never the priority during the development of Cyberpunk 2077. Given this, the scale to which Cyberpunk 2077 was made is too much for the hardware of the PS4 and Xbox One to handle, which is why players on these consoles shouldn't expect much. Given that console components cannot be upgraded the way PC can be, Cyberpunk 2077 may never run the way it was supposed to be on the PS4 and Xbox One.
On the flip side, there is still a beam of hope for Cyberpunk 2077 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X, given that the game was developed with these platforms in mind. Although it will probably take a while before CDPR can iron out all the bugs and glitches, future patches will likely improve player experience in the long run. However, given Cyberpunk 2077's tarnished reputation, CDPR has to make an effort to convince disgruntled players to give the game another chance. This could be achieved not only by polishing the game to a higher standard but by introducing content expansion that lives up and surpasses the promises CDPR made before Cyberpunk 2077's release.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.