Things Are Still Getting Worse For Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 appears to be the gift that keeps on giving pain to many gamers. The game launched in a bad way, crawling with save file corruptions and a glaring lack of last-gen console optimization. CD Projekt Red admitted it was wrong to rush the game out (despite eight or nine years of development, including delays), but refunds have been notoriously difficult to come by. Now the Polish government is stepping in to put out this fire.

According to the website Dziennik Gazeta Prawna (via Google Translate), the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) has taken an interest in the storm of problems surrounding Cyberpunk 2077 and CD Projekt Red. Following a lawsuit filed against CD Projekt Red, UOKiK will oversee the company, specifically how it patches Cyberpunk 2077's console versions. UOKiK will ask the studio for a patch roadmap and will check in from time to time to ensure CD Projekt Red is sticking to the plan. But, UOKiK will also gauge the company's flexibility, especially how it reacts to past and future complaints from disgruntled gamers, namely those who request refunds.

However, this backseat patching might not be enough to cover the damages. One attorney, Dominik Jȩdrzejko, believes UOKiK's president might decide to further penalize CD Projekt Red. Potential punishments could include 10% of the company's income or free DLC for gamers who bought the PS4 and Xbox One versions.

Dziennik Gazeta Prawna's report implied that Cyberpunk 2077's problems, especially its last-gen console performance, might not have been as surprising as some gamers might believe. For example, the article cited rumors that the game was poorly optimized as late as "early 2020," despite CD Projekt Red's claims to the contrary. Moreover, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna reminded readers of confidentiality agreements sent to journalists. Anyone who breached the agreement (by doing something as small as posting non-canned footage) could have been fined up to $27,000. The general implication from Dziennik Gazeta Prawna seems to be that CD Projekt Red might have known Cyberpunk 2077 wouldn't live up to expectations on consoles, yet issued confidentiality agreements that meant journalists were unable to warn the public.

Whatever the case, CD Projekt Red's reputation has been scarred because of Cyberpunk 2077. Once, the company was held in such high regard that Poland's Prime Minister gave President Obama The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings as a present. Now, an important arm of the Polish government will probably audit CD Projekt Red for years to come. How far the mighty have fallen.