CD Projekt Co-Founder Breaks Their Silence On Botched Launch
Cyberpunk 2077 has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, making it one of the most talked about game releases of 2020. CD Projekt Red continues to apologize for its messy, glitch-filled game, this time with a heartfelt message from the company's co-founder. CD Projekt's Marcine Iwinski released a video on Cyberpunk 2077's official YouTube channel in order to apologize for the company's shortcomings in releasing the title.
Iwinski cited several contributing factors to why the game didn't live up to expectations, including the COVID-19 pandemic, pressure from the executive board, and a focus on PC performance. He also promised updates for Cyberpunk 2077 to improve its performance on the PS4 and XBox One, as well as the free DLC that the developer initially promised. Additionally, Iwkinski told fans to expect the DLC and next-gen upgrades of the game later in 2021.
Most notably, Iwinski admitted that Cyberpunk 2077 didn't perform as advertised. "I, and the entire leadership team, are deeply sorry for this, and this video is me publicly owning up to that," said Iwinski. "Please, don't fault any of our teams for what happened." Iwinski claims that the final decision on releasing the game was left up to his leadership team, and that the developers were simply working diligently as they were told.
While his apology seems heartfelt, some players feel skeptical about Iwinski's video. While one commenter on the video commended CD Projekt's bravery for admitting their mistakes and trying to make it right, several other commenters noted how corporate entities ruin everything, just as they do in Cyberpunk 2077 itself.
Overall, Iwinski's apology feels sincere, and CD Projekt's plan to improve Cyberpunk makes sense. Towards the end of the video, Iwinski hinted that CD Projekt might have an announcement up their sleeve soon. Iwinski said, "Beyond Cyberpunk, we have many plans for the future, which we will share more about when we are ready." The video did not describe what kinds of plans, a new game or new direction for the company, Iwinski refers to.
Fans of CD Projekt and its games can continue hoping that it makes its latest game a success through promised DLC and upgrades, but Cyberpunk 2077 is already one of the most talked about games of 2020. Cyberpunk 2077's release has even caused enough of a controversy to get the Polish government involved. It's likely that CD Projekt will need time to restore the company's reputation to its former glory.