In the video game industry, it is rare for a title, after having a disastrous launch, to make a comeback. Against all odds, Cyberpunk 2077 has been the exception. Not only is it attracting the interest of those who originally turned it down – and with good reason – but it has also become one of the most popular games today.
According to Steam data, Cyberpunk 2077 averages one million daily players. On the other hand, this week reached 20 million copies sold. Both figures, without a doubt, are bestial; even more so if we consider the scandal that surrounded it almost a couple of years ago. To reach this moment of glory, however, various factors arose.
First of all, it was crucial that CD Projekt Red, the studio behind its development, took full responsibility for the initial fiasco. Polish they recognized that the game was released without being completely finished, especially in its version for consoles of the previous generation. There have been cases where studios or publishing companies remain silent and disregard the widespread discontent. Fortunately, this did not happen with Cyberpunk 2077.
More importantly, CD Projekt Red was committed to fixing the myriad of glitches in Cyberpunk 2077 to at least make it a decent gaming experience. After all, millions of gamers trusted them and opened their wallets expecting a high-quality game. Over time, the studio has released a good number of patches that have managed to solve the vast majority of bugs.
A few months ago, I told you that I went back to Cyberpunk 2077 —one year after quitting— to see if the updates had indeed taken effect. To my surprise, I found a very stable game in technical terms. The bugs it used to have on its PS5 version are completely gone and of course the patch next-gen It improved the visual section remarkably.
However, after writing my experience, CD Projekt has made more updates available to the community in recent months. Right now, Cyberpunk 2077 It is in good condition, one that we would have liked to see since it hit the market in December 2020. The second factor that influenced its resurgence is even more surprising.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners breaks it on netflix
In mid-2020, months before Cyberpunk 2077 saw the light, they announced that the game would have an animated series on Netflix. The problem, of course, is that the disappointment generated by the launch caused the public to lose interest in the adaptation. The big surprise came just a few weeks ago, when criticism of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners they were more than positive.
Both the specialized critics and the audience acclaimed the animated production. The story is more than entertaining—even cruel, like everything that happens in Night City—and the quality of the animation is outstanding. At the time of writing this post, in Rotten Tomatoes averages 100% from the press and 96% from public opinion. These figures make it one of the highest rated anime of recent timeswhich is not a minor issue.
What happened next you probably already know. The success of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners caused that Cyberpunk 2077 had a significant increase in players on all platforms. Fortunately, those who returned, as well as those who took their first steps in Night City, have found a title that offers a very fun experience and whose duration extends for dozens of hours.
“By matching the game update to the amazing anime, we were able to connect gamers from Cyberpunk 2077 with viewers of edgerunnersand build anticipation for both at the same time,” said Jeremiah Cohn, head of marketing for the Polish studio.
the future of Cyberpunk 2077
If you are among the players who already finished Cyberpunk 2077 completely —which are not many—, you should know that next year the first and only expansion will arrive: phantom liberty. It will be free and, yes, it will only be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X | S and PC, since CD Projeckt RED decided to focus its efforts on current generation hardware.
Being the only expansion that it will receive, the following question arises: what will be the future of Cyberpunk 2077 after the arrival of Phantom Liberty*? Although CD Projekt RED assures that it will continue to explore the franchise, it is unlikely that the game will receive more content in the future; at least in the dimensions of an expansion.
“We decided to release a big expansion using the potential of the new generation of consoles. At the same time, I would like to emphasize that we want to further develop the intellectual property of cyberpunk. We have invested a lot of time and effort in building this brand and we have every intention of developing it further.”
The truth is that the study has turned to the development of the new The Witcher Y Cyberpunk 2077once fixed, it will go to the background.