Cyberpunk 2077 didn’t quite stick the landing when it launched a month ago. A questionable review policy concealed the poor state of affairs on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game, and an absolute litany of bugs and performance problems further soured impressions. The long-anticipated game wasn’t bad per se, but the sheer number of issues plaguing it and the shady communication from CD Projekt shrouded what should have been the biggest launch of the year in controversy.
CD Projekt could be fined 10% its annual income from last year.
It appears their woes have yet to cease, because Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection has decided to look into the whole ordeal surrounding Cyberpunk 2077’s launch, and if they don’t like what they find CD Projekt could be hit with a hefty fine. Polish business newspaper Dziennik Gazeta Prawna reports the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection is looking into the shaky and tumultuous launch surrounding Cyberpunk 2077. Representative Malgorzata Cieloch had this to say on the matter:
“We will check how the manufacturer is working on the introduction of amendments or solution to difficulties preventing the game [to work] on different consoles, but also how it intends to act in relation to the persons who filed complaints and are dissatisfied with [their] purchase due to the inability to play games on owned equipment despite previous assurances [that it would].”
Polish attorney Dominik Jedrzejko was asked his thoughts on the matter, and his reply wasn’t optimistic. He believes the fixes and patches coming from CD Projekt may not be enough to counter allegations of “unfair market practice.” The refund policy CD Projekt wheeled out shortly after launch may be deemed unsatisfactory as well, which doesn’t come as too much of a surprise considering how much of a mess it became.
If Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection decides CD Projekt is guilty of unfair market practice and deceit they will likely fine the company 10% of its annual income from last year. They could ask the developer to issue “digital bonuses” in place of the fine, but what those bonuses could be and how they’d work outside of Poland remains a mystery. Despite the maelstrom of bad press and poor player response surrounding Cyberpunk 2077 it still sold astronomically well, yet this fine would cut deeply into those profits. The agency is awaiting CD Projekt’s response before proceeding with their investigation.
It’s a shame to see all the goodwill CD Projekt cultivated since the launch of the Witcher 3 squandered like this. Cyberpunk 2077 has been a massive success financially, but at what cost? I’m confident the developer will address all the bugs and major complaints with the game over time, but this whole ordeal has eroded their once exalted reputation. Cyberpunk 2077 is a good game, but it could have been so much more.
Published: Jan 11, 2021 11:22 am