Official Statement: Cyberpunk 2077 Pulled from PlayStation Store Amidst Backlash
After facing significant backlash and confusion over the launch of Cyberpunk 2077, the game has now been officially removed from the PlayStation Store for both PlayStation 4 and 5. This decision comes shortly after Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that it would provide full refunds to dissatisfied players who purchased the game digitally on either console.
CD Projekt Red, the developers behind the game, have had a challenging week as their highly-anticipated release was plagued with bugs and issues. Reviewers who had early access to the game only had the PC version, which proved to be the best-performing compared to its console counterparts.
Unfortunately, the console versions of the game, particularly on PS4 and Xbox One, suffer from numerous problems and have been described by some users as borderline unplayable. This is a significant blow for players who were unable to obtain a PS5 or Xbox Series X, don’t have access to a gaming PC, or simply chose not to upgrade.
In response to the widespread dissatisfaction, CD Projekt Red issued an apology acknowledging that they should have paid more attention to ensuring better performance on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. This apology left many fans perplexed, considering the game has been in development for years and was initially planned for release before the next-gen consoles were even on the market.
CD Projekt Red Twitter Embed:
— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) December 14, 2020
Additionally, CD Projekt Red did not showcase gameplay of the final version of Cyberpunk 2077 running on a PS4 or Xbox One prior to its launch. To address the issues, the company plans to release two major patches in January and February.
Sony and Microsoft, along with other marketplaces, have been inundated with refund requests from players who purchased the game. After three days of this, Sony became the first to take decisive action and announced the removal of Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store indefinitely.
“SIE strives to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction, therefore we will begin to offer a full refund for all gamers who have purchased Cyberpunk 2077 via PlayStation Store,” Sony stated. “SIE will also be removing Cyberpunk 2077 from PlayStation Store until further notice.”
It remains unclear whether Sony’s decision is an attempt to protect the PlayStation brand from the fallout of Cyberpunk 2077’s flawed launch or simply a means to manage the refund process prompted by CD Projekt’s advice to fans.
Cyberpunk 2077, PlayStation Store, Sony, CD Projekt Red, refunds, backlash, bugs, performance, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X.