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Cyberpunk 2077's latest delay related to current-gen consoles

While the next-gen and PC versions of Cyberpunk 2077 are ready, CD Projekt RED needs more time to finalize current-gen builds.

Sam Chandler

October 29, 2020 1:15 AM

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Cyberpunk 2077 has had a tough development life. The latest delay, from November until December, is just one more hiccup in the road to release. A recent conference call at CD Projekt RED has given a bit more insight into the reasons behind this most recent delay, and it looks to come down to the current-gen console version requiring more work.

Reported on by Biznes, a teleconference involving CEO Adam Kicinski, CFO Piotr Nielubowicz, and SVP Business Development Michal Nowakowski went into some of the topics surrounding the recent Cyberpunk 2077 delay. There were notes about the new release date, how the game is handling from those that have played, and how the delay relates to sales and pre-orders.

The main talking point that is bound to draw some attention is related to the delay itself. As quoted from Biznes:

"This situation is different" compared to previous changes to the deadline - the game for PC is ready and plays well on next-gen consoles and the company is finalizing the process concerning current gen consoles.

It sounds as if the PC version of Cyberpunk 2077, along with the next-gen console versions (Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5), are all completed and ready. The main reason for the delay is thanks to current-gen systems.

Because of the promise of free upgrades from old-gen to next-gen, it would make sense that CD Projekt RED wants players to have a good experience on old-gen. If the experience was poor, consumers may consider it a ploy to get them to fork out for a new console.

As the industry continues this slower transition between old and new consoles, there’s a chance we see more of these kinds of delays. Developing on hardware that is seven years out of date while also ensuring a game is ready for the latest hardware cannot be an easy or straightforward task.

One exciting snippet from the conference relates to the feedback the team has received from those that have had actual hands-on experience with the full game. According to Nowakowski, "Those who completed the game say they have never played a game like this before." That's some high praise.

While this latest Cyberpunk 2077 delay is bound to disappoint eager fans, at least it’s for the sole purpose of ensuring everyone has the best experiences possible.

Sam Chandler

Head of Guides

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as Head of Guides. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler