CD Projekt Red risked the reputations of others to insulate Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is out, and it’s the only thing people can talk about. But while many people are playing and enjoying it, many others are encountering a game that is broken and buggy — especially on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Over the past week, developer CD Projekt Red has tried to apologize to fans, but in the process it has often soured sentiment about the game and itself even more. And the company’s actions reveal that it was willing to risk its own reputation as well as the reputation of its partners and reviewers to isolate Cyberpunk’s launch from fair criticism or further delays.

As a reviewer with the benefit of hindsight, I feel duped and used by CDPR. And maybe the company didn’t make a conscious choice to use the media to deceive fans. But that’s what it feels like, especially in the light of the company’s ongoing behavior toward partners like Sony and Microsoft and toward gamers themselves. It also feels in line with the company’s recent history of transphobic and edgelord marketing.