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It's no secret that CD Projekt Red's latest release, Cyberpunk 2077, didn't exactly have the smoothest launch. Plagued with controversy over the crunch its staff endured, hit with constant delays, and technical issues so severe that it was delisted from the Playstation Network, Cyberpunk 2077 has been disaster after disaster and is responsible for nearly single-handedly ruining the once impeccable reputation of its developer. CD Projekt Red has issued a series of apologies and clarifications since then, but this most recent one is the most comprehensive, outlining their plan to restructure their entire development process.

The first thing made clear from the video is that, despite its rocky start, CD Projekt Red is committed to Cyberpunk as a franchise, as much of the video revolves around how to bolster it moving forward. Developing future Cyberpunk titles in tandem with the Witcher franchise is a priority moving forward, as their custom-made REDengine will be retooled to better serve both franchises, which will also enable them to have staff work on both titles, rather than needing to support two separate teams, indicating that more games in both the Cyberpunk and Witcher franchises are likely being worked on. They also speak about how, while AAA RPGs will always be their primary focus, they've had success with expanding The Witcher into various other types of media--such as the live-action Netflix series, Gwent card game, etc.--and that they are already planning to push forward with those plans concerning Cyberpunk 2077, such as with the spin-off anime title Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.

Another issue many players had with Cyberpunk 2077 was what they saw as misleading marketing, and frustration over constant delays and removed features. In response to this, CD Projekt Red has promised to reconsider the way it communicates with its audience. New projects will be announced further into the development cycle and much closer to the final release date, avoiding the endless wait that Cyberpunk 2077 had. Presentations will also focus on more polished demos and will showcase footage from all platforms, rather than only showing the game on high-end PCs as they did with Cyberpunk. This change reflects another internal policy shift for the studio, where, instead of working off of five-year plans, they will focus on annual roadmaps, allowing them to adapt their priorities and announcements more deftly. On the docket for 2021 are next-gen updates for Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the release of an AR mobile title, and further updates and development for Gwent and Cyberpunk.

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Notably absent from the 2021 roadmap is Cyberpunk 2077's multiplayer. A multiplayer component to that game had long been expected, and while details were vague, it appeared to be something quite large, as CD Projekt Red considered it a separate, AAA title. However, they've reconsidered their attitude towards multiplayer moving forward. They want online experiences to be an important aspect of their games moving forward, but only want to implement them when they "make sense." "Let's stress this here: CD Projekt Red makes single-player, story-driven, AAA RPGs," says President and Joint CEO Adam Kiciński. "Given our new, more systematic and agile approach, instead of primarily focusing on one big online experience or game, we are focusing on bringing online into all of our franchises one day. We are building an online technology that can be seamlessly integrated into development of our future games." Presumably as part of this new initiative, CD Projekt Red has acquired Canadian developer Digital Scapes, which has worked on Cyberpunk 2077 since 2018.

 

[SS4]

Cyberpunk was fine . . . Just too many entitled ppl that are always upset about everything anyways and fools that get carried away and overhyped this shit like it was the second coming of Jesus or something imo . . .
I was very down to earth about it and didn't care when it was gonna be released and i played it when it came out without having obsessed about it for years like all my friends and ppl i know and we all had a blast with the game unlike all the super vocal ppl out there rofl.

 

[Ulieq]

My 7 year old loves Cyberpunk. I played through once and did the "COMMIT SUICIDE" ending. I thought that summed up the experience pretty well and never touched it agian.

 

[Ottoclav]

I know; isn't it utterly glorious? This is the best Dark Mode I've ever seen.

I didn't like it and went back to the previous. I couldn't look at the meme page because everything was pixelated beyond legibility.