Cyberpunk 2077 Could Land CD Projekt Red in Legal Trouble

Cyberpunk 2077 Could Land CD Projekt Red in Legal Trouble

Written by on | OpenCritic

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From Warsaw, Poland, the home of CD Projekt, lawyers and investors are considering filing a class-action lawsuit that would see the games publisher suffer penalties for what may be alleged is misrepresentation of the Cyberpunk 2077.

First reported by the New York Times,  the claim would be on behalf of those affected by the game's shoddy launch, as it would be alleged the publisher misrepresented the state of the game "in order to receive financial benefits." In this case, meaning the continued support of investors and the guarantee of the game's record-setting eight million preorders already invested by consumers.

The NDA for Cyberpunk 2077 stated that reviewers could not share original footage of the game and had to play it on PC, seemingly to guarantee a much smoother experience for those who would become the first critics to weigh in on the RPG's gargantuan hype and argue whether it achieves its goals. As a result, it seemed to work. The game's embargo broke and Cyberpunk 2077 boasted a 91 average on OpenCritic from several dozen outlets. But in the days since, players have learned the PC experience is not the same as that which folks on last-gen consoles like Xbox One and PS4 have received. Today, with over 100 reviews, spanning all platforms, it sits at a much lower 78.

The game is much messier on those outgoing consoles, by many accounts, even as it was always designed to come to those platforms at launch given that its original launch date was April 2020. CD Projekt likely wanted to ensure the bulk of its players on PC and last-gen consoles would remain enthused to buy and play the game, but in the end this deception may hurt them more than further delays or removing the game from those platforms altogether. 

As a studio, CD Projekt Red had an enviable reputation among its players as a "good guy" studio that delivered free DLC, great video games like The Witcher 3, and didn't mince words on social media. But with so much of that goodwill evaporating in just a few days, the game being pulled from some digital storefronts, refunds being requested, and a potential class-action lawsuit incoming, those at the team without a say in how this all unfolded might be feeling betrayed by their own bosses right about now.

 

About the Authors

Mark Delaney Avatar Image
Mark is an editor at GameSpot and a Boston transplant now biking across Portland, Oregon. He especially enjoys covering battle royale, horror, and sports games. He spends his free time with his family, marathoning HBO, and advocating for animal justice.