Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red has a lot to live up to within the next 50 days or so. In December, the game launched with a ton of bugs and performance issues on both PC and consoles. PS4 and Xbox One had the most problems, leading to full refunds and a promise from CDPR that two major patches would be issued in January and February to fix the game.
Well, here we are in January 2021 and all eyes are on CDPR to see if they can deliver. Małgorzata Cieloch, the spokesperson of the UOKiK (Office of Competition and Consumer Protection), has said that if CDPR fails to deliver on the Cyberpunk 2077 patches, they could lose up to 10% of their annual income to the Polish government. Below is a rough translation from an article by Benchmark.pl (via GamingRoute)
“We ask the entrepreneur to explain the problems with the game and actions taken by him. We will check how the producer is working on making corrections or solving difficulties that make it impossible to play on consoles, but also how he intends to act towards people who have made complaints and are dissatisfied with the purchase due to the lack of possibility to play the game on their equipment despite previous assurances of the producer.”
Essentially, it all boils down to the progress CDPR has made on Cyberpunk 2077. If the UOKiK determines they’re doing a good job, they’ll be fine. If not? It could result in a pretty pricey fine.
CD Projekt Red is a major point of pride for Poland. During a meeting with former President Barack Obama, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk presented the U.S. President with a copy of The Witcher 2. It was a way of showing their culture and proves how fundamental CDPR is to the country. Poland has helped fund the company’s games, including Cyberpunk 2077, as they help their economy tremendously.
If CDPR can’t make right on their promises, it’s likely that Poland fears it will reflect badly on them as well. Cyberpunk 2077 has sold very well so far. The RPG sold over 8 million copies on its first day and netted the biggest PC launch of all-time. As of December, the game has sold 13 million copies. CDPR is unfortunately also dealing with lawsuits from investors as well, which could put a damper in their finances.
