CD Projekt Red is being sued by investors who claim the company misled them about the readiness of Cyberpunk 2077 when it was launched on 10 December 2020. The US lawsuit alleges the developer made “false and misleading statements” about the RPG’s state of development and readiness for launch. The suit also alleges the company’s failure to disclose the game’s technical issues had propped up its stock price, resulting in significant financial loss when the issues were revealed.
CD Projekt Red Faces Lawsuit Over Cyberpunk 2077’s Disastrous Launch
The Background
Cyberpunk 2077, the highly anticipated role-playing game developed by Polish game company CD Projekt Red, was launched on December 10, 2020, after being delayed several times. Prior to its release, the game was hyped up as one of the biggest games of the year, with promises of incredible graphics, an immersive open-world environment, and a branching storyline with multiple endings. However, the game’s launch was plagued with bugs, glitches, and other technical issues that made it almost unplayable.
The Fallout
Players who had pre-ordered the game or bought it on launch day were immediately met with crashes, freezes, and other issues that made the game unenjoyable. CD Projekt Red acknowledged the issues and promised to fix them with patches and updates, but many gamers were left disappointed, with some demanding refunds. In response, Sony removed Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store and offered refunds to those who had purchased the game. Microsoft followed suit and also offered refunds to Xbox players.
The Lawsuit
As the fallout continued, CD Projekt Red faced a lawsuit from investors who claimed that the company had misled them about the game’s readiness. The lawsuit, filed in the United States, alleged that the company had made false and misleading statements about the state of the game’s development and its readiness for launch. The investors claimed that CD Projekt Red’s failure to disclose the game’s many technical issues had artificially inflated the company’s stock price, resulting in significant financial loss when the issues were revealed.
CD Projekt Red responded to the lawsuit, stating that it had acted in accordance with the law and had not misled investors. The company also acknowledged the issues with the game’s launch and promised to fix them. The lawsuit is ongoing, with no resolution yet in sight.
The Impact
The disastrous launch of Cyberpunk 2077 has had a major impact on both CD Projekt Red and the gaming industry as a whole. CD Projekt Red’s reputation has taken a hit, with many gamers calling for boycotts of the company’s future releases. The fallout has also highlighted the issue of crunch time, with reports of CD Projekt Red employees being forced to work long hours to meet the game’s release date. This has sparked a larger discussion about the unethical work practices that are all too common in the gaming industry.
The Future
CD Projekt Red has promised to fix the issues with the game and has released several patches and updates to address the technical issues. However, the damage has been done, and the company’s reputation may take years to recover. The fallout from Cyberpunk 2077’s launch has also highlighted the need for greater transparency in the gaming industry, with consumers and investors alike demanding better communication from game developers and publishers.
Only time will tell how CD Projekt Red will recover from this debacle, but one thing is clear: the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 will be remembered as one of the biggest gaming disasters in recent history.