Cyberpunk 2077: This comeback would be impossible for (almost) all other games!
Cyberpunk 2077 is back on everyone”s lips two years after its explosive launch – and it tastes delicious to role-players. At least that”s what the excellent player numbers on Steam and elsewhere suggest, as well as the positive buzz on social media.
How did CD Projekt Red manage this turnaround? Cyberpunk 2077 was, after all, the biggest scandalous release in recent years. The game was temporarily kicked out of the PlayStation Store because of its bugged last-gen console version, the manufacturer”s share price plummeted by up to 75 percent, and dissatisfied players were able to return the game.
The secret behind the Second Chance for Cyberpunk 2077 is a concerted action that has never been seen before, not even with No Man”s Sky. But I can give the all-clear: Other publishers are guaranteed not to emulate Cyberpunk 2077”s example so quickly. Because they either can”t – or don”t want to. And especially the latter is probably better for us gamers in the long run.
“We”re saving Cyberpunk 2077″ project
The decline and resurgence of CD Projekt and its developer studio CD Projekt Red can be perfectly traced by the company”s share price. In December 2020, shortly before the release of Cyberpunk 2077, the value of the paper was over 103 euros, a historic high. At the beginning of September 2022, on the other hand, the previous low was reached, with the share trading at 16.5 euros. Less than a month later, it is a good 22 per cent more, currently around 20 euros.
This strong performance in recent weeks is reflected in the wave of positive news that Cyberpunk 2077 is currently riding. This is no coincidence, but rather a hard calculation: developer CD Projekt, which has always been a specialist in improving its games (think of the Enhanced Editions for The Witcher 1-3), launched a real quality offensive in September. The following points came together in the process:
- Live show with the future of Cyberpunk 2077 as the theme.
- Introduction of the new DLC (Phantom Liberty)
- Start of the Netflix series “Edgerunners”.
- Launch of update 1.6 including ingame content from “Edgerunners”
- Release of the (REDmod-Tools)
- 50 percent discount at all online sales platforms (now expired)
The result is something to be proud of:
good morning Cyberpunk broke yesterday”s concurrent numbers already and is now the 1 selling game on Steam pic.twitter.com/xY7cIa0h94
– Paul Tassi (@PaulTassi) September 25, 2022
No, it is still not the open-world revolution that many an observer dreamed of in advance. But it is a great, graphically impressive role-playing game with enormous playful freedom, which remains in the memory with its story.
Similar to Hello Games with No Man”s Sky, CD Projekt Red has managed to polish a product that was inadequate at release, especially on consoles, for months, so that it now finally shines as it deserved from the start.
In fact, amidst all the applause for CD Projekt, it”s important to remember that management previously thought it was a good idea to push Cyberpunk 2077 out the door in December 2020, hell with the consequences.
With this behaviour, CD Projekt has squandered much of the trust the company was previously able to build over three Witcher instalments. The reputation as a guarantor for games that may not have been perfect from the start, but were developed with love and maintained in an exemplary manner after release was ruined from one moment to the next.
No other publisher would accept such damage to their image (but also to their finances) only to celebrate another great success two years later at half the price. Ergo, in view of the love currently being poured out about Cyberpunk 2077 in forums or on Twitter, no one needs to fear that the industry could draw the wrong conclusions from the failed release and the late resurrection of the game.
No consequences?
Are y”all gonna pretend like CDPR didn”t lose a lot of good will, Cyberpunk 2077 got pulled out of the PS store for months, their stock market dropped a lot, they had to offer a lot of refunds?
People on this app hates second chances https://t.co/ronkgvhUHx
– SHIRO (@SHIRO_116) September 25, 2022
In the meantime, the cyberpunk role-playing game has had to cede its top position to other games, but nevertheless an impressive development for a single-player role-playing game that is barely two years old. It remains exciting to see how the figures for Cyberpunk 2077 will develop. By 2023 at the latest, the first (and only) story expansion Phantom Liberty should provide a further boost.
We have summarised all information on Phantom Liberty here) for you. You can watch the first trailer for the DLC, for which even Keanu Reeves returns as Johnny Silverhand, as follows:
What”s the problem?
New Update: There are several good reasons why Cyberpunk 2077 is currently attracting immense player interest. There is, of course, the release of the latest update, which, in addition to various improvements and adjustments, even contributes another handful of new content: Patch 1.6 is called the Edgerunners Update and brings Cyberpunk 2077 fresh weapons and even new missions.
New Sale: At the same time, the role-playing game was available for a price reduced by 50 percent, i.e. just under 30 euros. Of course, this fits perfectly with the release of the Netflix series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which started on the streaming service just a few days ago. The adventure of David, Lucy and Co. enjoys great popularity among critics and viewers alike and brought not only old but also new players (back) to Night City.
New promises for the future: Last but not least, CD Projekt Red revealed what the future holds for Cyberpunk 2077.
What”s next for Cyberpunk 2077
What new updates bring: CD Projekt Red already announced, how Cyberpunk 2077 will continue after patch 1.6. Vehicle and melee combat will be reworked and the police and search systems will receive a much-needed overhaul.
What the story DLC will bring: The first story DLC for Cyberpunk 2077, Phantom Liberty, was announced at the same time and will be released sometime in 2023. However, it is supposed to remain with only one big addon, a second one is not planned. After that, CD Projekt Red will probably quickly throw themselves into the development of the next Witcher.
A new Witcher is coming: What we already know about The Witcher: A New Saga begins and what exactly awaits us?
Have you already paid Cyberpunk 2077 another visit after patch 1.6 and Edgerunners? What do you think of the current state of the game and what would you hope for its future? Let us know in the comments!
