“Cyberpunk 2077,” developed and published by Poland-based CD Projekt, was riddled with bugs upon its release in December — a major surprise given the $130 million budget and eight years of development.
“This was a huge lesson for us, one we will never forget,” said Adam Kiciński, president and co-CEO of CD Projekt.
Swift backlash ensued, but 13.7 million copies were still sold through the end of 2020, making it one of the most successful titles in CD Projekt’s history.
Due to the technical issues that initially made “Cyberpunk” unplayable for many, CD Projekt offered full refunds, while Sony removed it from the PlayStation Store. However, only 30,000 refund requests were submitted.
Setbacks aside, “Cyberpunk” helped CD Projekt generate $556 million in revenue in 2020 compared to $138 million in 2019.
Another CD Projekt title, “The Witcher 3,” had its second-best sales year since its release in 2015. The game has sold over 30 million copies total.
Patches have been released for “Cyberpunk” since its shaky debut, and CD Projekt will continue to support it going forward.
“I don’t see an option to shelve ‘Cyberpunk 2077,’” Kiciński said in an interview with Reuters. “We are convinced that we can bring the game to such a state that we can be proud of it and therefore successfully sell it for years to come.”
