For the second time this year, CD Projekt Red has announced a delay to the release date of Cyberpunk 2077; arguably the most highly-anticipated game of the year. This time, the delay is merely of two months, from September to November 2020. According to the studio, the game is actually finished. However, the developers feel that it needs more time for polishing and bug-fixing before release.
Cyberpunk 2077 Release Date Delayed for a Second Time
“We have decided to move the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 from September 17 to November 19,” writes CD Projekt Red, in a statement released today; “Those of you who are familiar with the way we make games know that we won’t ship something which is not ready. ‘Ready when it’s done’ is not just a phrase we say because it sounds right, it’s something we live by even when we know we’ll take the heat for it.”
The studio went on to explain that they believe it’s the right decision for the development of Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt Red also offered apologies to fans, who will have to wait an additional two months. In the same statement, the studio revealed that Cyberpunk 2077 is actually finished. However; “with such an abundance of content and complex systems interweaving with each other, we need to properly go through everything, balance game mechanics and fix a lot of bugs.”
While the release date may now be two months further away, fans will be hearing more about the game very soon. According to CD Projekt Red, early versions of the game are now in the hands of the press. This means that previews of the game will begin to emerge in just under one week’s time; the press embargo will end on the 25th of June. As such, fans should expect to both see and hear previews from the media shortly.
The New Launch Date & Effects on Next-Gen Availability
Of course, this announcement is likely to result in disappointment for many fans. However, it’s important to remember that the backlash for launching a buggy game is usually much worse than the backlash over a delay. This extra time should ensure that Cyberpunk 2077 is near-perfect when it does eventually launch. Interestingly, this new delay actually solves a problem which the last delay created for Cyberpunk 2077.
With the game delayed to September, it was due to launch just a couple of months before the next-gen consoles. Xbox is offering Xbox Series X Smart Delivery for the game, meaning that players who buy an Xbox One copy of the game get the next-gen version for free. However, Sony hasn’t offered an equivalent deal. Now that Cyberpunk 2077 is launching in November, however, this may cease to be a concern.