CD Projekt Red has announced that Cyberpunk 2077 will be delayed until September 17, 2020 (via CD Projekt Red).
We have important news regarding Cyberpunk 2077’s release date we’d like to share with you today. pic.twitter.com/aWdtR0grYV
— CD PROJEKT RED (@CDPROJEKTRED) January 16, 2020
Last year, the studio said that it was under “a healthy… kind of pressure” to get the game out of the door. “Everyone is working really hard right now because it's a tight deadline for us; the game is really big and large-scope. We're pushing it to the wall,” said studio head John Mamais. “There are a lot of people who come into the industry that are fresh; they don't really understand what it takes to do it. So we get a lot of new guys coming in, and they go, ‘Oh god, this is like too much.’ But then we have other guys come in from Rockstar Games, and they're like, ‘This is not even crunch!’”
Crunch is a serious issue for the industry, and it occurs when projects exceed their scope for the time there is available before the game must be shipped. The stress that staff endure leads to mental and physical health problems, and it’s something that happens at all scales of studio, unfortunately. If it is possible to delay a game to give the teams enough time to finish it without adverse effects, then a company should take that course of action.
In consequence, CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 has been moved to September 17, 2020. The studio is aiming for the game to be its “crowning achievement” and these “precious months” afforded to the teams will let the game reach these lofty goals. “We are currently at a stage where the game is complete and playable, but there’s still work to be done,” read the statement from co founder Marcin IwiÅ„ski and studio head Adam Badowski. “Due to the sheer scale and complexity of it all, we need more time to finish playtesting, fixing, and polishing.” CD Projekt Red will keep future players in the loop with “regular updates” as its new release date approaches.
Cyberpunk 2077 releases on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on September 17, 2020.
