CD Projekt Boss Says Reputation Not Fully Healed After Cyberpunk 2077 Catastrophe

CD Projekt joint CEO Michał Nowakowski  understands that some fans of the developer have lost faith in the company "indefinitely" following the Cyberpunk 2077 catastrophe. At the same time, the executive said the Polish developer feels optimistic about its chances to "make it back" with The Witcher 4. Speaking to Edge (by way of GamesRadar), Nowakowski said Cyberpunk 2077's troubled launch in December 2020 was "heartbreaking" for the studio. For anyone just catching up, Cyberpunk 2077 launched in a troubled state, and the game had such serious technical issues that Sony pulled it from the PlayStation Store, with players able to claim refunds. A scene from Cyberpunk 2077. Despite the issues at launch, Cyberpunk 2077 enjoyed one of the most commercially successful debuts in the history of video games, and CD Projekt's management team was handsomely rewarded with massive bonuses. Cyberpunk 2077 was later reinstated on the PlayStation Store, and CD Projekt Red steadily supported the game with numerous patches over the years. It's now sold more than 35 million copies, reaching that number faster than The Witcher 3. The turnaround for the game, culminating with the game's 2.0 release and the launch of the Phantom Liberty expansion, was considered to be one of the most compelling turnaround stories in games. But the reputational damage remains intact, Nowakowski said. "I'm not 100% convinced we went through the full redemption arc," he said. "I'm convinced that we lost the faith of some people indefinitely, and that's a fair thing. But I do hope we will be able to make it back--if not with The Witcher 4, then with whatever comes next." The Witcher 4 doesn't have a release date yet. It's one of multiple games in the works at CD Projekt Red, with some of the others being a remake of the original Witcher, a new IP, and a game with Saudi Arabia.