Despite Cyberpunk 2077’s current positive reception, CD Projekt Red CEO Michał Nowakowski has stated that the company does not yet consider having completed what he calls the title’s “full redemption arc.” The executive expressed his vision regarding the game, which faced a launch full of challenges in 2020.
CD Projekt Red CEO’s view on player trust
Nowakowski’s statement came during an interview given to Edge’s Knowledge newsletter and reproduced by GamesRadar. The leader of the Polish developer expressed hope that future projects, such as The Witcher 4 and other titles from the studio, can in fact compensate for the initial difficulties of Cyberpunk 2077. “I’m not 100% convinced that we’ve gone through the entire redemption process,” Nowakowski told Knowledge. He considered that some fans’ trust may have been permanently lost, but he hopes to regain it, whether with the next The Witcher or with subsequent productions.
The troubled launch of Cyberpunk 2077 in 2020
In 2020, the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 generated considerable frustration, as the game arrived on the market with a series of technical problems and design deficiencies, conveying the feeling of an unfinished product. Although the narrative and gameplay mechanics were well judged, many features released before release were not implemented correctly, and encountering some type of bug was a frequent occurrence. The strong negative reaction was amplified by the track record of CD Projekt Red, which had released the acclaimed The Witcher 3, raising expectations to a level that the new game was initially unable to meet. This journey of a troubled launch followed by the search for redemption, albeit on different scales, echoes examples in the industry like No Man’s Sky and Fallout 76, where rebuilding public trust has become a central effort for developers.
Years of work to improve the game
In subsequent years, CD Projekt Red dedicated itself extensively to fixing bugs and adding content to Cyberpunk 2077. Through a series of updates, the game achieved significantly greater stability across all platforms, and entire gameplay systems were reworked. This effort culminated in the release of the Phantom Liberty expansion in 2023, which received overwhelmingly positive reviews and marked a turning point in the public’s perception of the game.
Monitoring the future and CD Projekt Red’s persistent caution
Since then, CD Projekt Red has focused on developing several projects, including The Witcher 4 and a new game in the Cyberpunk series. The generally positive anticipation surrounding the next title in The Witcher franchise suggests that the developer has been redeemed in the eyes of many gamers. However, Nowakowski’s considerations indicate that the company still believes it has work to do to solidify this image recovery.
CD Projekt Red strategy: focus on quality over quantity
Regarding the future that Nowakowski envisions for CD Projekt Red after this recovery process, he clarified the company’s plans. The executive stated that the dream is to produce more games, but made a point of highlighting that the studio does not want to become a producer that launches a big title every year, prioritizing quality and experience over the frequency of new releases.