The Rise, Fall and Rise Again of Cyberpunk 2077 (Part 3 - Repairing the Damage)

 

Introduction

The lessons of the release saga of Cyberpunk 2077 continue to be noted by developers today, with no one wanting to damage their reputation the same way that CDPR did.  We have seen a trend of developers being overly cautious with the release of their game, and it is very much a common occurrence for games to be delayed.  Personally, I’d rather a game be delayed and be released in perfect condition, than be rushed through and released in the way Cyberpunk did.  I don’t know about you, but I would like my PS5 to continue to work personally.

If you’re familiar with the situation CDPR currently find themselves in (or have paid attention to the title of this series) you’ll know that there has been a remarkable recovery in the company’s standing within the industry.  Today’s post will be looking at the work that was done to get back into the industry’s “good books”, as well as the lasting impact of the mistakes made by CDPR on other companies.

Apologize First

The backlash from Cyberpunk’s release was hard-felt throughout the industry, with consumers and developers alike being affected by the demands of CDPR’s share-holders and management.  It was reported by games journalist Jason Schreier that many of the development team for Cyberpunk had been going through a period of extreme crunch to get the game out for its December release date.  For those who aren’t sure, crunch is a phrase used to describe the ridiculous overtime many developers are forced to do in order to meet deadlines uncompensated.  It is a worrying trend in the industry, and one that really isn’t talked about enough.  Many devs will work anywhere from 60-100 hours a week during periods of crunch to get a game finished.

Schreier’s report was a damning blow for CDPR, with more high-profile failings within the company being brought to the forefront of everyone’s minds.  It was only a matter of time before they would have to respond.  With the Holiday season behind them, CDPR co-CEO Marcin Iwinski published an open apology for all to see, addressing the issues the game had.  He made two main points.  One being that CDPR as a company completely underestimated the size and scale of the project, especially when it came to optimizing the game for both PC and last-gen consoles.  Secondly, he blamed the engine for the number of bugs the game had, and claimed that in testing, nothing was seen on this scale.  Notable by their absence was any mention of the controversial demo build, and the developer crunch that was at this stage, common knowledge.  

Did this apology begin the healing process?  Absolutely not.  Many, many people were quick to notice Iwinski’s failure to accept any responsibility for what happened, and the general consensus was that the apology was very much a PR ploy to save face, rather than be genuine in any way.  The backlash grew worse and worse, and from my point of view at the time, it was abundantly clear that this was one of the most disastrous game launches in history.  Cyberpunk was supposed to be genre-defining, and was expected to be one of the greats.  Instead it was a lesson on how not to release a game for everyone else.

Earn Trust Second

One of the most interesting components of the gaming industry is the relationship between the developer and the player.  Often, it is this relationship that will lead to the success of a game, as those with a good track history will see more of their games sold upon release, as they can be trusted.  A negative relationship will immediately hinder sales figures, and often studios will work hard to ensure their relationship with players is in a good place.  The damage dealt by Cyberpunk’s release was severe to say the least, with CDPR’s reputation and relationship with players completely changing overnight.

Work therefore, had to be done to get the players back on side, and with Iwinski’s poor apology doing the company no favours, it was time for CDPR to be fully transparent with how they intended to handle Cyberpunk’s future.  Releasing a roadmap to recovery, the company indicated that the game was going to require at least 8 updates during 2021 (four patches and four hot-fixes), and had initially announced the next-gen update for the game would be available by the end of 2021.  This was then pushed back to early 2022 to allow for final testing and any additional bug fixes.  It seemed that maybe lessons had been learned, or maybe simply, they were learning to take their medicine for their previous failures.

Cyberpunk finally made its way back to the PlayStation store in June 2021, however, it came with a warning.  On the product page, it warned the player that the PS4 version of the game was unlikely to work on a PS4 (crazy just to think about), and essentially consumers shouldn’t buy the game on a PS4.  As of writing, this warning has been removed (admittedly we’re 18 months on from this first being displayed on the PlayStation store), and a lot of work has been done to get the game back to a respectable place.

Redeem Yourself Third

I’m going to jump forward slightly in time to September 2022.  The industry had changed a lot since December 2020, with game delays being an almost regular occurrence, and not unwelcome in my view.  Studios were afraid of making the same mistakes that came from Cyberpunk, and more often than not, games would be pushed back by six months to ensure the best product would be released.  Award winning titles such as Elden Ring, and God of War Ragnarok were both delayed, and in doing so, allowed for the vital final flourishes to be completed.

September saw the release of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, a ten part anime series set in the world of Cyberpunk 2077 but a standalone title that didn’t intervene with the story of the game in any way and explore the lives of new original titles.  Much like the League of Legends inspired series Arcane, Edgerunners was a huge hit on Netflix, praised for the themes that it explored and the way in which its story was told.  At the same time, Cyberpunk 2077 was on sale, to “celebrate the release of Edgerunners”, and at just £20, it was hard not to consider picking it up.

Edgerunners was largely responsible for displaying just how intriguing the Cyberpunk setting was, and in a way, helped to put the idea of the potential of the game back into the minds of players.  I must admit, I haven’t watched Edgerunners (I’m not an anime person at all), but I had always wondered what Cyberpunk would be like, especially almost two years on from its release.  So, I fell for the trap, and I decided to purchase the game myself, despite the fact that I historically am not a fan of first person shooters, and had never been interested in the game pre-release.

I will tell you my thoughts on the game next week, but the point is that I was not alone in this way of thinking at all.  In fact, CDPR reported in September that Cyberpunk had sold 20 million copies, and that during the release of Edgerunners, the game was being played by 1 million people every day for over a week.  These are monstrous numbers for any game, and I can’t think of a time when a game would bounce back so well from such a huge fall.  Cyberpunk had in many ways, been redeemed, and although the saga of its release should never be forgotten, its redemption arc proves that it’s possible to come back from the lowest of beginnings.

And Learn From Your Mistakes

The public trust of CDPR has also seen a shift, and while many are right to remain cautious, it is clear that there is excitement surrounding this company once more.  A lot of the credit does have to be placed at the feet of the company, who have patiently taken the time to fix the game into a state where it is playable, and are exciting fans with their plans for the future.  There is no mistaking that what was done was unforgivable, and I personally feel they have a lot of work to do when it comes to gaining trust (and certainly how they handle reviews for future titles will be interesting to see unfold).

In October 2022, CDPR announced what the future holds for them, as they begin expanding out of Poland and having bases in various locations in America.  It was announced that The Witcher would get a new trilogy, as well as two other standalone titles set in The Witcher Universe, and most interestingly, developed by Third Party Studios.  It was also announced that Cyberpunk 2077 was getting a fully-fledged sequel, in which CDPR stated that they hope to unleash the full potential that the world of Cyberpunk has to offer.  And finally, it was announced that CDPR would be working on a new original IP, codenamed Hadar.

The announcements didn’t stop there, with The Game Awards being the perfect place to show a new trailer for DLC expansion Phantom Liberty, to be added to Cyberpunk 2077 in 2023.  It was here that CDPR announced that Idris Elba would play a starring role in the expansion, highlighting that they are still huge players in the industry.  The redemption arc of Cyberpunk is unlike anything we’ve ever seen, and the idea that this game could recover to the point that the company has been able to bring in another huge box office actor to the project, is something we never would have predicted when it released in 2020.  And it’s clear that CDPR are actually trying, and as the sub-titles of this post have said, they executed the perfect redemption plan:

1. Apologize First

2. Earn Trust Second

3. Redeem Yourself Third

4. And Learn From Your Mistakes