CD Projekt Red Has Bad News For Witcher And Cyberpunk Fans

The tumultuous launch that was "Cyberpunk 2077" is still fresh on the minds of gamers who awaited its release from its initial announcement in 2012. After a lengthy 8-year wait for the title's release, "Cyberpunk 2077's" official launch was mired in funny bugs, and the game was in a practically unplayable state on the older consoles. It was so bad, in fact, that CD Projekt RED — the game's developer and publisher — had to issue a formal apology after fan uproar, as well as provide a roadmap for the steps required to make the game a more complete product. One of those big updates was to include a version of "Cyberpunk 2077" that was optimized for the next-gen consoles, the Xbox Series X|S and the PlayStation 5, before 2021's end.

But as of a recent announcement from CDPR, it doesn't look like any such update will happen before the end of the year. Instead, gamers will have to wait until 2022 for any such next-gen optimization to occur. And not just for "Cyberpunk" — "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt" and its anticipated next-gen upgrade has also been put on hold. Luckily, fans already have an idea of when the two titles will launch in 2022.

In CDPR's statement, the Polish-based company explained that it plans for "Cyberpunk 2077" to be given a next-gen update in the first quarter of 2022, while "The Witcher 3" will receive its update in the following quarter. This order of procedure shouldn't come as any surprise to gamers. "The Witcher 3," with or without next-gen enhancements is still a very playable and enjoyable experience, while "Cyberpunk" has struggled to meet modern standards. Even after a string of several updates, the game remains in limbo.

The reason for the delay is, according to CDPR, due to recommendations from the games' respective development teams, but most fans are still pretty peeved by it. Twitter user @FarisMD16 called the delays "empty promises", while user @7ibii simply posted a picture of CDPR's "Cyberpunk" roadmap in response.

Despite being made by the same company, the reputations of "Cyberpunk 2077" and "The Witcher 3" couldn't be more different. "Cyberpunk" is considered an object failure by many gamers and critics alike due to its bugs, while "The Witcher 3" — not without its own issues — is one of the most lauded games of all time. Time will tell whether or not "Cyberpunk" will have the same kind of redemption arc that other games such as "No Man's Sky," which exploded after its release. Regardless, getting these new enhancements could be pivotal in that pursuit.