Summary
The negative reception toCyberpunk 2077at launch helpedPhantom Liberty’s development, according to a lead dev.
Paweł Sasko, lead quest designer on Cyberpunk 2077, credits the negative reception to the game at launch with the expansion’s later success. This is because it forced the company to change how it developed the game, something which he says benefited Phantom Liberty.
Speaking with TheGamer’s Santi Leguiza at Gamescom latam, Sasko brought this up when discussing some of the pains that come with working in the gaming industry, including cancelled projects and controversial game launches.
“Phantom Liberty worked significantly better at its launch because we completely changed the production style, something that couldn’t have been possible if the initial reception of the game wasn’t as negative as it was,” says Sasko. “It changed me and us as a studio.”
Lessons Learned From Cyberpunk 2077’s Launch
When Cyberpunk 2077 launched, it was met with mostly positive reviews from critics. However, this was only from the PC build, with the performance on console being significantly worse - and untested by critics prior to release. The backlash to the state of the game on all platforms, particularlyPS4andXbox One, was so intense thatSony temporarily removed the game from the PlayStation store.
Fast forward several years and patches later, and Phantom Liberty launches in 2023. This story expansion was much better received by fans and critics alike, and most importantly, performed well from day one. It still wasn’t perfect - the accompanying version 2.0 updatehurt performance on console- but on the whole, it was a win forCD Projekt Red.
Now, Sasko is an associate game director on the next Cyberpunk game. The studio will want to avoid another launch like Cybperunk 2077, so hopefully, the lessons that the team learned won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
WHERE TO PLAY
Phantom Liberty is the first and only major story expansion DLC for Cyberpunk 2077. Return to the game as V as she attempts to protect the NUS president, and meet Solomon Reed, voiced and portrayed by Hollywood star Idris Elba.
