CD Projekt RED believes Cyberpunk 2077 has made a major recovery, but the studio knows it may never fully win back every player who lost trust after the game’s troubled launch. Joint CEO Michał Nowakowski has said the company is still working to rebuild confidence, with The Witcher 4 and future projects expected to play an important role in that effort.
Cyberpunk 2077 launched with serious technical problems, particularly on previous generation consoles. The game’s poor performance, bugs, missing features, and eventual removal from the PlayStation Store damaged CD Projekt RED’s reputation after years of goodwill built through The Witcher series.
The studio spent years fixing the game through patches, the major Update 2.0 overhaul, and the Phantom Liberty expansion. Those updates helped transform Cyberpunk 2077 into a much stronger game, but CD Projekt RED accepts that some fans may still remain skeptical.
Cyberpunk 2077 improved, but trust takes longer to rebuild
Cyberpunk 2077 is now widely seen as one of the stronger examples of a game recovering after a difficult launch. CD Projekt RED addressed many of the game’s biggest technical issues while adding new systems, reworked progression, improved police behavior, vehicle combat, and more meaningful gameplay features.
The Phantom Liberty expansion also helped change public opinion by delivering a focused story, stronger missions, and improvements across the wider game.
The commercial recovery has been significant too. Cyberpunk 2077 has reportedly sold more than 35 million copies, showing that interest in Night City remains strong despite the launch controversy.
| Cyberpunk 2077 period | What happened |
|---|---|
| Original launch | Serious bugs and weak console performance created major backlash |
| Early updates | CD Projekt RED focused on stability and performance fixes |
| Update 2.0 | Reworked key gameplay systems and progression |
| Phantom Liberty | Added a major expansion with strong reception |
| Current position | Sales and player interest have improved, but some trust remains lost |
The studio’s leadership appears realistic about the situation. Fixing a game is one thing, but repairing a relationship with players is more difficult.
The Witcher 4 could become CD Projekt RED’s biggest test
CD Projekt RED is now heavily focused on The Witcher 4, which will be the next major opportunity for the company to prove that it has learned from Cyberpunk 2077.
The Witcher series remains the studio’s most trusted franchise. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is still considered one of the most important open world role playing games of its generation, and many fans will expect the next game to match that level of quality.
That creates pressure. The Witcher 4 cannot simply be a good game. It needs to show that CD Projekt RED can manage a large production, communicate honestly, and deliver a polished release without repeating the mistakes made with Cyberpunk 2077.
The game is expected to begin a new Witcher trilogy, which means its success could shape the studio’s direction for many years.
CD Projekt RED wants growth without annual releases
The company has a busy long term plan that includes a new Witcher trilogy, a remake of the original The Witcher, Cyberpunk 2, Project Sirius, and a new original property called Project Hadar.
However, CD Projekt RED has said it does not want to become a studio that launches a major game every year. Instead, it wants to focus on fewer large projects with stronger quality control.
| Planned project | Current role |
|---|---|
| The Witcher 4 | First game in a new Witcher trilogy |
| The Witcher remake | Modern remake being developed with Fool’s Theory |
| Project Sirius | Multiplayer focused Witcher project |
| Cyberpunk 2 | Next major Cyberpunk game |
| Project Hadar | New original IP |
This approach makes sense after Cyberpunk 2077. Rushing large games can create problems that take years to repair, while careful planning may help the studio avoid another difficult launch.
The studio says its teams are stronger after the crisis
CD Projekt RED has also said that the Cyberpunk 2077 experience created more experienced teams inside the company. The difficult launch forced developers and leadership to deal with technical challenges, production problems, community criticism, and major post launch support.
That does not erase what happened, but it may help the studio handle future projects more carefully.
The real test will be whether those lessons appear in the next releases. Players will watch development updates closely, especially after the company’s past marketing mistakes.
Cyberpunk 2077 may never have a perfect redemption story
CD Projekt RED has done a great deal to improve Cyberpunk 2077, and many players now enjoy the game in a way that seemed impossible at launch. But a complete redemption is not guaranteed.
Some fans will remember the original release and remain cautious about future CD Projekt RED games. That is fair. Trust is built slowly, and it can disappear quickly when expectations are not met.
The Witcher 4 gives the studio a chance to move forward with a cleaner start. A polished release, clear communication, and a strong game could do more to rebuild confidence than any statement about lessons learned.
Cyberpunk 2077’s recovery shows that CD Projekt RED can respond to mistakes. The next challenge is proving it can avoid making them again.
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