Up to 40% of a game's total sales occur in the first month, according to the SSRN Electronic Journal. Consequently, the best strategy for studios is to ensure their titles launch with a bang. Some strategic mark??eting is necessary to achieve this.? Piling up good reviews from critics and gamers is also vital, meaning it's essential for games to launch in a polished state.

Over the years, a few titles have missed the mark terribly, resulti?ng in catastrophic launches. The following list contains some of the worst offenders in gaming history.

2024 addendum

To borrow a common internet adage, it's like Concord read this list and said, "Hold my beer." As such, we felt it would be a good time to add to this list. It felt as though it would rem?ain incomplete without what is currently the most talked about crash.

But rather than slotting in Concord and calling it a day, I'm going to also add a couple of my favorite launch failur?es. Smangeliso already d??id a bang-up job on compiling some of the worst, so those are left untouched.

13. Trespasser - Jurassic Park

The move to 3D graphics was a painful one. Over-ambition was common, and nowhere was this more obvious than with Trespasser, a game based on the Jurassic Park franchise. The lead-up to the launch promised a game that used a real-time physics engine and artificial intelligence that would make dinosaurs flock together and a?ct based on their specific needs.

Trespasser was technically impressive when it launched. However, the game was rushed so urgently that every promised feature was only technically implemented. Dinosaur AI, for example, wasn't ready for prime time, so the dinosaur's anger was cranked up to maximum, and? that was it. The real-time physics and inverse kinematic animations resulted in the thunder lizards staggering around drunkenly. It's hilarious, it's ea?sily one of my favorite terrible games.

12. SimCity (2013)

The first SimCity was released in 1989 and became one of the most influential games in the history of the industry. It practically created the city-builder genre and laid the groundwork for all kinds of management games. Makes sense that EA would be the ones to screw that up. The publisher decided that the once single-player city builder should have a multiplayer element, and that was enough to warrant an always-online requirement for SimCity (2013). Previous botched attempts at always-online had soured the alr??eady mixed feelings on the requirement, and it proved to be warranted when many players had difficulty downloading, connecting, and staying connected to play the game??.

It didn't stop at the online issues, however. Many changes to the SimCity formula were not wel??l received, such as an almost microscopic map size to build on and mindless traffic that players would put through veritable mazes of streets to demonstrate their insistence on taking the most direct path, rather than an easily acceptable and better alternative. Three years later, EA would ??remove the always-online requirement, but at that point, it was far too late.

11. WWE 2K20

The WWE franchise has had a long presence in the gaming scene, and titles like Smackdown! vs Raw 2006 and SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain are memorable games that successfully replicate the testosterone-flooded action of sports enterta??????????????????????????inment.

When WWE 2K20 launched in October 2019, day-one buyers ended up with a game sporting atrocious graphics that looked like they belonged on a PS3. The gameplay wasn't any better, and the numerous glitches made WWE 2K20 a pain to play. The game's terrible reception was one of the reasons WWE 2K21 was canceled. It was for the best, as when the franchise returned with WWE 2K22, it achieved?? double ??its predecessor's launch sales.

10. New World

Amazon's New World hit stores in September 2021, and the launch was nothing but chaos. ?Servers were flooded, resulting in players waiting for hours before they could start playing. When people were eventually able to play, they discovered that while the core game was good, it was also plagued with game-breaking glitches. Since release, plenty of updates have been pushed out, and the game is in a better state, but it failed to be the enduring classic that Amazon was likely aiming for.

9. Anthem

When Anthem was announced, the flashy marketing successfully caught the attention of the gaming world. Unfortunately, when Anthem launched in 2019, it was immediately critically panned. Critics and gamers alike complained about?? many elements, including boring missions, technical glitches, poor performance, and excessive grinding. The game failed to meet EA's expectations, and future developments for it were cut in 2021.

8. The Last of Us Part 1 (PC)

Though the PS5 version launched without any major issues, the PC port of The Last of Us Part 1 has been nothing short of a disaster. Players were greeted with technical issues and absurdly long ?loading times, making the game unplayable for some. Since launch, many h??ave pointed the finger at Iron Galaxy, the studio Naughty Dog entrusted with the port. It won't be the last time the studio appears on the list, so there may be some truth to the accusations.

7. Fallout 76

In 2018, Bethesda took Fallout online with Fallout 76. The game promised to allow players to explore dystopian settings with friends, which is an idea that has great potential. When Fallout 76 launched in November 2018, it was far from what gamers expected, resulting in the PC version scoring a measly 52 on Metacritic. Due to the bad press, many gamers stayed away, and as a result, Fallout 76 had lower launch sales numbers than Fallout 4 and Fallout New Vegas.

6. Batman: Arkham Knight (PC)

Arkham Knight's PS4 and Xbox One versions were developed by Rocksteady Studios, and the PC port was handed off to Iron Galaxy. This proved to be a mistake. When Arkham Knights l?aunched on? PC, it crashed constantly and featured technical issues that rendered it unplayable for many.

The situation got so bad that War??ner Bros. Inter??active Entertainment suspended sales of the Windows version of the game in June 2015 while developers worked on patches to fix the game. Though the game has improved plenty, the historically disastrous launch won't be forgotten any time soon.

5. eFootball

The free-to-play sports game eFootball was released in September 2021. The concept wasn't a bad one, though ??the execution left a lot to be desired. Gamers were met with atrocious graphics, endless technical issues, and visual bugs that have made for some hilarious screenshots. With a score?? of 25 on Metacritic, it is one of the lowest-rated games of all time.

4. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition

When it was revealed that the GTA trilogy would receive a remake, excitement was high. Launch day arrived in November 2021, and gamers were less than satisfied. The trilogy was rife with technical issues, ugly character models, and visual errors, which should have been spotted during the QA phase of d?evelopment. To placate fans, Rockstar offered the original trilogy to all customers who had purchased the remake via the Rockstar Store.

3. Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is a title that has been a ubiquitous fixture in gaming for years, and not always for good reasons. When Cyberpunk 2077 launched in 2020, the experience was so bad droves of gamers demanded refunds, and Sony eventually pulled the game from the PS Store. Fortunately, the story doesn?'t end on a sour note, as developers have worked hard to improve the game, and after several patches and updates, the game is one of the most enjoyable open-world titles on current-gen consoles.

2. No Man's Sky

Like many other titles on the list, the developers made plenty of big promises before the game's release. When No Man's Sky launched, gamers realized that many of the promised features were missing, and the performance was poor. There was plenty of outrage, though Hello Games didn't abandon No Man's Sky. Instead, developers got to work releasing patches and updates that slowly but surely improved the game. Today, No Man's Sky is a be??stseller ?available on almost all platforms.

1. Concord

Concord's failed launch was so severe that it will probably be studied for years to come. It was enough to warrant an update on this list. It was reportedly the result of years of work and millions upon millions of dollars, and lasted two weeks before it was pulled from marketplaces with a refund being issued to those who had bought it. At least one report suggests that Sony dumped $400 million into the project and was betting on it being the future of the brand. Take that with a grain of salt; it hasn't yet been substantiated. However, the live service sector of the industry is packed to the gills with people hoping to be the next Fortnite, and simply dropping an expensive game in there is not enough to capture the crowd. Whether or not Concord reappears in some form in the futur?e remains to be seen.

There's no shortage of games with failed launches, and the future will feature plenty more. From?? ?these cases, we learn that although delays may be frustrating, terrible launches are far worse. We also see that even the worst launches don't have to spell the end for a game so long as developers persevere.

The post Top?? 13 worst game launches in gaming history, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

Though there's never been a dearth of mods for The Witcher 3, its modding scene has truly come into its own as of late, even before the official mod kit came out. Whereas Eternal Hunt revamps The Witcher 3's gameplay, Custom Pl??ayer Characters lets you make your own Geralt.

Actually, the Custom Player Characters mod for The Witcher 3 is even more impressive than that, as it not merely an opportunity to add new beard and hairstyles to Geralt. Instead, this mod delivers a full-featured character creation menu that wouldn't be completely out of place in a mainline Bethesda Softworks RPG. Not only are female characters now on the menu for The Witcher 3, then, as impressive as that sounds, but you can also play the game as a proper sorceress.

The Witcher 3: Custom Player Characters is one of the most comprehensive Witcher mods we've seen yet

Developed by a modder known as nikich340, Custom Player Characters is nothing short of transformative. As the trailer featured above shows, the feature list is way more comprehensive than the mod'?s title might have you believe:

• play The Witcher 3 as a Witcher, Witcheress, or a Sorceress
• create your own The Witcher 3 character from the ground-up, or use an existing NPC's appearance and/or armor
• improved female animation sets to reduce the character's skeleton stretching unnaturally
• all-new magic combat system for Sorceress characters, alongside a hefty story quest allowing you to learn new spells
• support for a separate female Witcher armor mod and separately available female Geralt voicelines

Granted, the mod's UI simply reuses The Witcher 3's dialogue interface to provide options to the player, which might look somewhat disappointing at a glance. With just a tiny bit of getting used to it, though, it becomes plainly obvious that nikich340 has produced a ridiculously powerful and feature-rich mod that can re-contextualize the entire Witcher gameplay experience, if you want it to do so.

A mod this powerful is, naturally, somewhat complicated to install. The whole process shouldn't be too problematic if you're even remotely familiar with modding on PC, but nikich340 warns that Custom Player Characters stores its data within The Witcher 3's game saves. In other words, uninsta??llation is going to be problematic should you ever need to get rid of the mod. Thankfully, Custom Player Characters comes with a one-click option to revert back to vanilla Geralt, if things get too broken to continue.

With mods such as Eternal Hunt, Custom Player Characters, and the recently ported old Witcher game maps, it's clear that The Witcher 3 has silently become a true modding ?powerhouse, years after its release. Wh??o knows what might be coming next, then.

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Since releasing at the end of 2020, many have been waiting for Cyberpunk 2077 to get online multiplayer. However, that hasn't happened? and is not going to, at an official level at least, so it's once again being left up to the modding community to save the day.

Currently, there is work-in-progress being made on a multiplayer mod for the game (called "CyberMP"), which will allow multiple people to duke it out dystopia-style across the whole of Night City. The video below shows the latest version of the project, with a number of Cyberpunk 2077 players testing out the functionality.

It's actually pretty impressive so far. The JuiceHead ?narrator notes the stability of this unofficial multiplayer mode, with reference to how well it all appears to be synced up. While it's by no means perfect, the mod seems to be coming along nicely, and the footage above shows that, even in this state, it plays pretty solid.

There were some a few issues, of course, such as a few crashes and some animations ?not being present in the earlier builds, but progress is being made all the time. It's also said to be under the sole care of a single developer, which makes the project even more impressive, but does mean it'll take a bit of time to complete.

Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer when?

Despite how stable it all looks, there's no indication on when the general public will get to try it out. A report from DSO Gaming speculates that �as it's s??till in "pre-alpha" �we may be waiting a while, po??ssibly another year or so. However, given what we can see in JuiceHead's video, some may speculate a much sooner release date, but these would just be guesses.

As for what happened with CD Projekt Red officially adding multiplayer in, that's definitely not on the cards now. The idea was pushed back in favor of fixing the many glaring issues that plagued Cyberpunk 2077 from day one. Add onto that the fact that the developer has now ended ?support for the gam?e and there's no way an official online multiplayer mode will be coming to the game now.

It should also be noted that the mod itself won't feature co-op, so players can't team up to take on the game's missions or main storyline. Whether it'll come in the future cannot be said at this stage. Currently, it looks it's going for more of a GTA Online vibe, s??o expect a lot of chaos on the streets when it d??oes come out.

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Now that CD Projekt Red has started working on the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, codenamed Project Orion, we can look forward to seeing where the Polish studio takes things. While the game was initially panned for its wealth of bugs, three years later, things have taken a turn for the best, earning the title an award for Evolving Game at the BAFTAs.

But what of the follow-up? What can we expect? Well, it's tough to say at the moment, but some of the guys at CDPR sat down recently for a podcast episode to discuss opening a studio in Boston. One thing that did crop up was how making the move to US soil could have an effect on the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 sequel.

At around the 2:10 mark in the video above, Acting Executive Producer Dan Hernberg says that Cyberpunk is "a uniquely American story," so it kind of makes sense to take the series to the states. It also means CD Proj?ekt Red can make the most of a "huge talent pool" that's available in America.

A Cyberpunk 2077-style Boston Tea Party?

To pivot off this, Associate Game Director Paweł Sasko mentions a few things in Cyberpunk that were subtle, but seemed evidence to some that it was made by a non-US studio. For example: there's the issue of the manholes in Night City. A few?? fans were quick to notice that the manhole cover?s were designed from ones typically associated with European streets rather than American ones.

Additionally, Director Sebastian Kalemba recalls how tough it was to calibrate, being a ?Polish outfit, in?? regard to nailing down American culture by experiencing the country, taking pictures, all in preparation for developing the first game.

For CDPR, it seemed like a pretty wise choice to move much of the base of operations to Boston, to ensure a more accurate approach to Americanizing (I think I just made that up) the next game. Hernberg goes on to say that relocating allows the team to "have those cultural ??touchpoints," which should go some way to creating greater authentici??ty in the follow-up.

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By this time, it's no secret that the Elden Ring DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, is a major hit for FromSoftware. Now, The Witcher III developer CD Projekt has congratulated the developer, sharing art of Geralt slaying Mohg, the boss guarding the way to the Elden Ring DLC.

For nearly a decade, the Witcher III's Blood and Wine expansion held the crown as the highest-reviewed DLC ever. Though by only a digit or two, Shadow of the Erdtree dethroned it, as you can see in the comparison between the two on Metacritic �and that didn't go unnoticed.

CD Projekt Red took to X via the official Witcher video game account to congratulate FromSoftware with an absolut?ely badass image of Geralt taking down the Lord of Blood.

''For the last 8 years, The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine had the honor of being the best-reviewed expansion for a role-playing game - but [Elden Ring] gets to wear that crown now," reads the message on X. "Congratulations to the entire team at ?[FromSoftware] on their stellar? work!"

CD Project Red pauses work to fight Mohg

It's been a long time coming, but not even The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine could have reigned forever (though, as a fan, you probably could have fooled me). Nonetheless, a new king has been crowned, and for good reason. Our own Chris Carter and Steven Mills gave the stellar DLC a 9.5/10 rating, with the latter saying, "even though my expectations were high, Shadow of the Erdtree still managed to exceed them."

Excitement for the DLC, which is available today, is at its peak. In fact, not even the developers at CD Projekt Red could ignore it for long. The account followed up the Geral??t art piece with a collage of screenshots, all apparently showing team members' characters on standby in Mohgwyn Palace, presumably before the launch of the DLC.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty didn't quite reach the lofty heights of either aforementioned DLC, even though it performed quite well. With The Witcher 4 in prod?uction, perhaps CD Projekt Red will someday vie for the crown once again.

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Fans have been modding The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on PC ever since it launched back in 2015. Later this year, though, developer CD Projekt Red is releasing its o?wn modding tool for the game, but you can test it out for yourself before then.

Signing up for playtest access is incredibly simple; just click the option for it on the tool's Steam listing. You aren't guaranteed to gain access straightaway, though, as CD Projekt Red has noted in a Steam news post that playtest access will be distributed in batches. So, be sure to keep an eye on your Steam Library for when The Witcher 3 REDkit Playtest is added. Prospective playtesters have also been warned that since they'll be trying out a bet??a version of the tool, it's bound to have issues that haven't been ironed out yet.

The tool promises to be incredibly comprehensive since it's based on the very tools the developers used for making The Witcher 3. CD Projekt Red has said this should "allow for nearly limitless freedom in modding [The Witcher 3] and, best of all, it'll be a free download, so there'll be no reason for modders not to at least try it out. With how creative modders can be, it'll be interest??ing to see what they can come up with? using an officially supported tool like this.

This isn't the first time CD Projekt Red has offered official mod support. Cyberpunk 2077 has its own free REDMod DLC that can be used to create and install mods for the game. Hopefully, such a tool will also be made for the next Witcher game as well, and not release nearly 10 years after the game does. Unofficially dubbed The Witcher 4, the game has over 400 developers working on it according to an earnings call from last month, but the??re are still no real details on it, not even its actual title.

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During CD Projekt Red's FY 2023 earnings call today, we got a brief update on the development of The Witcher 4. According to CDPR development is forging ahead on the fourth installment in the franchise with over 400 developers now on the project. While not a big update, it does confirm that the process is well underway with that many developers now working on The Witcher 4 which is internally codenamed Polaris.

It's important to note that despite the update, The Witcher 4 is still quite a ways away. Back in 2022 CDPR president and co-CEO Adam Kicinski confirmed that the title was at least three years away. While that could technically fit into a 2025 release window, that's very unlikely based on the earnings call confirming The Witcher 4 was in pre?-production. That means it's ?mostly the conceptualization stage.

Alongside the update for The Witcher 4, CDPR also shared the number of developers on other ongoing projects which is very interesting. There are currently 17 developers still on Cyberpunk 2077, assumedly mostly bug fixes after the company confirmed the Phantom Liberty DLC would be its last. There are 47 developers currently working on Project Orion, which we know is whatever the next chapter in the Cyberpunk universe is.

There are also some developers currently working on two other confirmed projects at CDPR. There are 37 developers on Project Sirius, a known multiplayer title in the works. Also, there are currently 20 developers on Project Hadar which has been confirmed by CDPR as an all-new IP. Obviously, these smaller teams typically indicate the project is very early on in its development cycle, which is to be expected compared to the massive over 400 developer team working on The Witcher 4 now.

Acco??rding to the breakdown, there are also 95 developers currently working on Shared Services including localization, quality assurance, data, insights, experie??nces, and AI. Another 8 developers are also working on "other projects".

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CD Projekt Red just dropped the latest update for Cyberpunk 2077, and it makes a handful of visual updates to the game while also addre?ssing some glitches that range from harmless to game??-breaking. 

Officially, Cyberpunk 2077 is finished, and CDPR planned for patch 2.0 to ?be the last big updat?e to the game, but things didn’t shake out that way. Ahead of the game’s Ultimate Edition release, patch 2.1 added a ton of new content, including a functional metro system and new companion side activities. After that CDPR shifted its focus to the Cyberpunk sequel, but the developer is still ironing out some details in 2077. 

The latest update is patch 2.12, and while it brings a number of welcome changes, it isn’t adding any n??ew content to the game. Instead, 2.12 is aimed at making small adjustments to quests, fixing bugs, and improving the game's performance on some devices. You can read all the details below:

PC

• It will now be possible to properly rebind the Radioport and dropping bodies to a different key on AZERTY keyboards. Switching quest objectives will now be assigned to the T key on all keyboards.
• Fixed an issue where trying to bind the T key to actions in Exploration & Combat resulted in a "Binding Failed" error.
• Together with Intel we fixed the stuttering issue that occurred while the "Prioritize P-Cores" option was enabled.
• Together with Razer we fixed a crash that occurred when using Razer Chroma enabled devices.
• Fixed an issue where NPC hair could appear extremely bright inside vehicles when Ray Tracing is enabled.
• Fixed a crash that occurred on Steam Deck when playing with Ray Tracing enabled.

Xbox

• Addressed an issue where the game could enter an infinite loading state, hang up or crash on Xbox when using some saves.

All Platforms

• Fixed an issue causing the inability to access the menu, inventory, stash, holocalls and fast travel.
• Updated the description of the Sonic Shock quickhack so that it properly reflects the changes made to its behavior in 2.1.
• Improved visibility of the controller cursor in menus and when using computers or keypads. This change will primarily help Steam Deck users, but will also benefit consoles and PC when using a controller.
• New Dawn Fades - Fixed an issue where it wasn't possible to open the phone to read the notification from the Automated Delivery System.
• I Can See Clearly Now - Lowered the Body attribute check required to move the dumpster.
• I Walk the Line - Sasquatch's jump attack will now properly register as a hit and deal damage.
• Riders on the Storm - Enemy cars in the chase sequence will now shoot at Panam's van.
• Nocturne Op55N1- Fixed an issue where, after choosing to call Reed, the conversation sometimes wouldn't trigger, blocking progression.
• Sonic Shock will now be properly categorized as a Covert quickhack.
• Fixed instances where groups of immortal enemies could appear across Night City.
• Fixed an issue where some elements on the perk screen wouldn't change after switching to Colorblind Mode.
• BioDyne Berserk will now properly have increased Crit Chance from its Reflexes Attunement.

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With Phantom Liberty now done and dusted, CD Projekt Red is keen to get cracking on some new projects. With that in-mind, it seems the studio is now looking to make some headway on the new Witcher saga.

That's according to a recent report from Reuters. The developer's joint CEO, Adam Badowski, tells the publication that the team is aiming to start the "production phase" on the first entry in the next set of Witcher games, currently codenamed Polaris.

Badowski goes on to say that the company would like to "have around 400 people working on the project by the middle of the year." CDPR is also at the "conceptual phase" regarding the follow-up to Cyberpunk 2077, with around 80 people expected to be working on that game by the end of 2024. CD Projekt Red has also apparently considered multiplayer elements for the new Cyberpunk, but isn't discussing details right now.

Win some, lose some

On top of this, a recent post on Twitter announced that Phantom Liberty has been nominated for "Outstanding Visual Effects in a Real-Time Project" at the 22nd Annual Visual Effects So?ciety Award.

The Cyberpunk DLC was not only the culmination of a lot of work fixing the glaring issues that plagued the game, but it was also something of a swansong for the dystopian ?RPG. CD Projekt Red may well take what harsh lessons it's learned and apply them to the sequel.

However, the Reuters r??eport goes on to say that the studio may be looking into artificial intelligence for some of its future releases. Michal Nowakowsk said he thinks "AI is something that can help impro?ve certain processes in game production," but added that it couldn't "replace people." Make of that what you will.

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Having sold millions of copies of the Phantom Liberty DLC since it was released in September, Cyberpunk 2077 is on a roll. Well, not quite, as developer CD Projekt Red is now turning its attention to the f??ollow-up, with the ??game's narrative director eager to get started.

According to a recent Twitter post from CDPR's own Igor Sarzyński, Cyberpunk 2077 was "just a warm-up," and the studio is now preparing to "officially kick-start our Orion journey." Orion is the working title for the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel.

The team working on the next entry began its first day in the new Boston office earlier this week. Sarzyński has said they're "excited for this project," while one person (who weirdly dubs themselves Abraham Lincoln on Twitter) asks whether they've been practicing their?? Boston access. Sarzyński replies: "I'm trying!"

Imagine Cyberpunk and Good Will Hunting in one

Towards the end of last year, CD Projekt Red unleashed one last big update for Cyberpunk 2077. For real, this time. The develope??r is now seemingly leaping into 2024 with hopes fo?r the future.

We don't really know anything about the upcoming game, but it's fair to say the studio will have learned some much-needed lessons from when the current game dropped like a hot mess back at the ta?il end of 2020.

Things have certainly improved since then �to the point where it was one of the top-grossing Steam releases of 2023 �but it's a memory that burns deep for some. As? CDPR begins to make progress on the follow-up, we can only hope Sarzyńs?ki and the rest of the team knock this one out of the park the first time around.

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It's been a funny old time for Cyberpunk 2077. Upon launching at the tail end of 2020, it went down as one of the most negatively received games due to its unfinished state. Now, with Phantom Liberty's launch and being one of the top-selling Steam releases of 2023, CD Projekt Red's dystop?ian RPG ha?s finally arrived.

Speaking of top-selling, a recent post on the Cyberpunk Twitter page shows that a lot of people have downloaded the expansion. In fact, since it launched in September, Phantom Liberty has shifted more than ??five million units, according to the d??eveloper.

As user KAMI says in a response?? below the tweet, that's a mighty achievement for ?DLC. Entire games can only dream of achieving such lofty figures, especially in such a short span of time.

Can we say it's fully redeemed now?

The memory of that initial launch is fast becoming faded, I reckon. Sure, folks like me felt massively let down by a product that was by no means ready for release. I was only really able to play it more tha?n a year later.

However, these days, it's a different story. The work CDPR put into rectifying as many errors and issues as possible has rendered the game worthy of praise. The fact that Phantom Liberty has been bought so many times is further evidence of th?is.

As we move forward, the studio is going to be busy, especially now that there are no more plans to release big updates for Cyberpunk 2077. We can only imagine what we'll experience when the follow-up arrives, not to mention the new Witcher saga that's currently in development.

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Despite version 2.0 supposedly being the last big update for Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red is bringing us one last hurrah. As well as implementing a number of ?fixes, the latest patch brings with it fresh ideas to see things out before the studio moves onto new games.

To go with the Ultimate Edition that's also been released, update 2.1 has added a few changes today. You can check out the video below for an overview. Some of the things now in Cyberpunk 2077 include a metro system, hangouts with partners, new vehicles, better vehicle combat, improved boss fights, ??and more.

You can also read the full patch notes to see what else has been done in this latest version. As you can see, it's no small?? feat, encompassing a veritable laundry list of tweaks, fixes, and changes. The update should be rolling out as we speak.

Is this it for Cyberpunk now?

CDPR recently said it's ramped up the team size for the new Witcher saga. On top of that, Community Director for the studio, Marcin Momot, has said that 2.1 represents "?one more patch" for the game. After this, the team will be focusing on future projects, of which there are quite a few.

That's not to say Cyberpunk will be abandoned entirely. At least not for the immediate future. The game is about to turn three-years old, and CD Projekt Red will probably want to keep things ticking over for a bit longer. However, the developer is now thinking about what's coming next, which includes working on a sequel to Cyberpunk.

For ?now, we at least get ?one last crack at some new changes in Night City. Make your next playthrough count, as it's almost certainly the last major update the game will be getting. For real this time.

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Cyberpunk 2077’s 2.0 update was supposed to be the last major addition t?o the game. But now CD Projekt Red is adding Update 2.1 to Cyberpunk, with some features that fans have been a??sking for si?nce the game was first released. 

In a REDstream event hosted on Twitch, quest director Paweł Sasko and producer Monika Janowska laid out some of the changes that are coming in Cyberpunk Update 2.1 on December 5, many of which seem to be inspired by the most popular Cyberpunk mods. 

The most notable addition to the game is a functional metro system that includes five different fully functional metro lines spanning the entire city. The Night City Area Rapid ?Transit System provides functional fast travel in addition to some interesting role-playing options. Players can enjoy the view of the city while riding NCART, and the team also hinted at NPC interactions and other surprises hidden within the?? system.

On the Night City airwaves

Another role-playing focused feature coming to the game is the Radioport that lets players wand??er the city while listening t?o their favorite station. The Port will automatically turn off during conversations and moments when the game’s score comes to the forefront, but it’ll flip back on when players return to exploration. 

Update 2.1 is also going to add some gameplay elements centered on vehicles. The game’s car races will now be replay??able opportunities to earn eddies and Autofixer discounters. Motorcycles are also getting a minor overhaul. Five new bikes are being added, and players will now be able to use throwing weapons and perform various tricks while driving. Along with that, Sasko hinted at new car chases ??that can emerge from interactions with various Night City gangs in the base game. 

I Really Want to Stay at Your House

Those seem to be the biggest additions, but they aren’t the only ones. The team hinted at options to hang out with characters you've romanced, and one gameplay clip revealed a Judy-centric mission called "I Really Want to Stay at Your House" in the HUD. Bosses have apparently been reworked, and the team specifically pointed out that Adam Smasher has been made stronger, will respond to player builds, and has his signature Sandevistan from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.

The Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.1 will also support DualSense controllers on PC and will offer new accessibility features, including colorbli??nd modes, font size options, and some HUD customization. 

In the stream, the team said that even more changes will be found in the upcoming patch notes and the game itself when Update 2.1 releases alongside the Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition on December 5. 

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Cyberpunk 2077 keeps adding reasons to get lost in Night City. Now that everyone’s had time to settle in with 2.0 and Phantom Liberty, a new Update 2.1 is going to add some new gameplay elements to Cyberpunk 2077 next week. 

Today CD Projekt Red announced that the free Update 2.1 for Cyberpunk 2077 will drop on Dec. 5, to align with the release of the Ultimate Edition on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Ahead of the release, CDPR is hosting a REDstreams event on Twitch at 10a.m. EST on Dec. 1. The stream will feature members of the Cyberpunk 2077 team, including quest director Paweł Sasko and producer Monika Janowska, talking about new features coming to the game. In its event listing on Steam, the company wrote, “We have a few nice surprises in this patch so don’t miss it!�/p>

It’s hard to say exactly what features we can expect to see in the update. Cyberpunk 2077 just recently got a slew of new content and features. The 2.0 update overhauled the game’s skill trees, changed police interactions, and added vehicle combat, and Phantom Liberty added a new district and story line.

CDPR has previously stated those were “the last big updates�/a> for the game, so whatever is coming probably won’t be too earth-shattering. Then again, adding onto the game is a great way to build excitement for the Ultimate Edition and future Cyberpunk projects like the live-action series and the inevitable sequel. Maybe we’ll luck?????????????????????????? out and those ??surprises will be bigger than we think.

We'll learn more when Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.1 drops on December 5.

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Destiny 2's Season 23 is live, inviting players to investigate Ahamkaras and the lost 15th Wish. While the season revolves around events from the Forsaken expansion's Last Wish Raid, Destiny isn't the only popular franchise with a famous Last Wish, as Destiny meets The Witcher series.

In Season 23, Destiny 2 hosts a crossover between it and The Witcher, adding several themed cosmetics to the game. Early on, eagle-eyed players can even spo??t a steamy homage to the?? famed monster hunter. And, oddly enough, it's in the possession of Mara Sov.

Upon beginning Season 23, you'll tackle an opening quest introducing the featured mechanics and activities. By the end, Mara asks Guardians to meet her in a small chamber below the H.E.L.M's Wing of the Wish. There, The Witcher fans might no?tice a certain wooden bathtub lovingly adorned with lit candles. The water-filled tub even has two familiar swords leaning against it, one with fiery engraved runes and another with ??a School of the Wolf pommel. Geralt's wolf head medallion rests hanging around the two weapons.

What does the bathtub have to do with The Witcher?

Those who have played The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt know the title practically opens with Geralt having a bath. He relaxes in a wooden tub, just about identical to the one found in the H.E.L.M. His surroundings are also dotted with lit candles in The Witcher 3 — another detail Bungie nailed. Geralt's weapons have their own Destiny ?twist applied, with Solar energy emanating from the runes on one ??sword and an Arc-charged pommel on the other.

Did Mara Sov take Yennefer's place?

While it's easy to write off the bathtub as a cheeky Easter egg, there might be more that's being implied. When the original bath scene plays out in The Witcher 3, Geralt enjoys his scrub in Yennefer's similarly bare presence. The sorceress of Vengerberg sits on a cushioned chair to the left of Geralt's tub by a desk. Interestingly, a cushioned stool and a full mirror vanity sit to the left of the tub in the? H.E.L.M.

It would be one thing to sneak the bathtub in somewhere, but the whole bath scene has been nearly rebuilt. Further, Geralt's existence is al??l but confi?rmed by the presence of his gear. And the monster hunter would never part ways with his trade tools. Unless, of course, he wants to engage in some romantic adventures.

Though Geralt is selflessly committed to his love, it's not entirely out of character for the Butcher of Blaviken to pursue other women. After all, there was that whole ordea??l with amnesia and Triss Merigold. Either way, it seems unlikely that Guardians will ever know precisely what happened between Mara Sov and Geralt of Rivia.

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CD Projekt Red managed to turn things around after the catastrophic launch of a certain dystopian RPG. With Cyberpunk 2077 getting an Ultimate Edition next month, not to mention the success of the Phantom Liberty DLC, the studio is mending its reputation. Right now, the company is looking to the future, as more staff are posted to its new Witcher projects.

In a recent earnings conference call, CDPR said the number of people working on Cyberpunk will be decreasing over time, with developers being transferred to Polaris, the code name for one of the upcoming Witcher games. This team, in particular, is ?"steadily growing" with nearly 330 people being moved over to the new project as of the end of October 2023.

The video goes on to say that this number is expected to increase to over 400 within the middle of next year. According to the company website, over 1,000 people are employed at CD Projekt Red, so that's a huge chunk working on The Witcher. You can check out a PDF version of the presentation on CDPR's official site.

Busy, busy, busy

There's a lot going on with CDPR at the moment. With several new games in the Witcher franchise currently in development, and an official remake of the first game in the pipeline, it's goi??ng to be hands-on for the team for the next few years.

There's also a Cyberpunk 2077 follow-up that's in the works, as well as a brand-new IP called Hadar. There's no telling what the future holds for the Polish studio, b??ut it sounds like there's a lot to look forward to.

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Can you believe we're coming up to three years since Cyberpunk 2077 released? What a rollercoaster it's been for CD Projekt Red's non-Witcher game, and soo?n you'll be able to own a special Ultimate Edition version of the dystopian RPG.

In a recent post on CDPR's website, the developer has said it will be launching the Ultimate Edition of Cyberpunk 2077 for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC. It's releasing digitally and as a physical purchase, both of which will be available from Decembe??r 5.

As for what's in it, well, you'll get the OG game (natch), along with the free 2.0 update that overhauled a lot of stuff, and the one and only DLC, Phantom Liberty. It's basically an all-in-one package, if ??that's what?? you're after in time for Christmas.

We can forgive, but can we forget?

As time goes on, it becomes easier to talk about Cyberpunk without having to remind ourselves of ??the bad old days. However, I'd wager it's a sting that's still felt by many, especially for those of us who tried to p?lay it on console when it released.

Things are, thankfully, much different now. The aforementioned 2.0 update was just one of the ways CD Projekt Red made some key changes to the game, improving things along the way. Before that was the rather substantial patch 1.5 that rolled out in February 2022.

In short: we've finally arrived. However, it's at a time when the studio is looking to move onto new things. While we're getting a Cyberpunk follow-up and a new Witcher saga, CDPR has also said that 2077 is getting no more major updates.

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CD Projekt RED is following through on its promise to stop official support for Gwent this year, but not before releasing one last update. The company announced on Gwent's website that a final up????date is coming, but the card game's future isn't ending.

Alongside the balance update is the inclusion of "Gwentfinity," which hands balance to the player base. The feature's announcement came last year alongside Gwent's ??sunsetting, so it's some?thing fans have expected.

Not all of Gwent will be in players' hands, as CD Projekt Red is employing a skeleton team to m?anage its infrastructure. This will ensure the game remains operational while keeping players generally in control.

How balance changes will work going forward is with the community-run Balance Council. Becoming a member involves being at Prestige 1 and Pro Rank for the season or winning 25 games in the season. These restrictions are to ensure eligible voters are community members deeply familiar with Gwent's meta.

Balance Council members will get to participate in monthly votes that potentially change a set number of cards. Restrictions include voting for up to thre??e cards within certain brackets to ensure changes without breaking the game.

Beyond the newfound community control and some oversight from CD Projekt Red, Gwent will no longer see any new cards. This means any changes will be made w??ith cards already implemented within the game.

Gwent's last update comes not too long after CD Projekt Red announced it is laying off around nine percent of its staff. Hopefully, all affected can find new workplaces and any remaining staff can effectively manage Gwent's community.

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CD Projekt Red's Colin Walder had a discussion with Inven Global, and he spoke at length about his career and his time at CD Projekt Red. He also gives some insight into what was going down around the time of Cyberpunk 2077's disastrous launch which resulted in it being pulled from the PS Store. The interview? isn't all sour, however, as he also discusses the lessons the studio learned and the changes that ?occurred.

When asked whether the studio knew things weren't looking good before the game's launch, Walder argues that during game development, "no one can predict everything that's going to happen until it actually happe??ns." Hence, it's only with hindsi??ght that you can determine what went wrong.

Fortunately, the studio has been able to turn the situation around, and the game's latest DLC, Phantom Liberty, has had a successful launch. According to Walder, Cyberpunk 2077 taught them about working with consoles and ensuring games run smoothly on them from day one. Hence, for their next project codenamed Polaris, the studio is "already r?unning our demos and internal reviews on the console from the very beginning."

A new world for CD Projekt Red

During the interview, Walder reveals that team members took a hit to their morale following the catastrophic launch of Cyberpunk 2077. To overcome the hump, they had to acknowledge and accept what had happened. Internal changes were necess?ary, and they needed to encompass mo??re than mere promises. "Actions speak louder than words," he claims.

Walder also discusses how the gaming world has changed and how this impacts development. The shift toward a work-from-home culture has conveniences many employees, though it can make co??mmunication ha??rder.

Furthermore, when everyone's at home "it's easy to lose that personal connection and rapport you naturally build when physically together." According to Walder, while re??mote work has value, there are some irreplaceable aspects of having a team physically together. Consequently, he argues that there needs to be a balance.

He briefly touches on artificial intelligence and its role in the future of gaming. He stresses that "ethical considerations are paramount, especially with technology capable of replicating human voices." The studio had to contend with these ethical considerations when it decided to recreate the voic??e of a d?eceased Polish voice actor using AI. Though it can be exploitative, the technology also has the "pot??ential to be inclusive in a respectful manner," such as when it's used to help voice actors who can't perform for health reasons.

It appears there have been some changes at CD Projekt Red, and the studio is ready to prove itself to the world again. We'll get to see what the studio is capable of soon, as there are several projects in the works, including a new mainline The Witcher entry.

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To craft Cyberpunk 2077's immersive world, plenty of voice actors were necessary. CD Projekt Red ran into a problem when Miłogost Reczek, a Polish performer who did the Polish voice acting for Viktor Vektor, passed away in 2021. As revealed by Bloomberg, the studio overc?ame this setback with the help? of artificial intelligence.

In a statement to Bloomberg, the studio explained that when developing the Polish language release of the Phantom Liberty DLC, it considered a few options regarding Vektor's v??oice. The studio mulled over replacing Reczek and re-recording his lin??????????????????????????es in the base game, but as CD Projekt Red localization director Mikołaj Szwed states, this idea was rejected in favor of AI which would keep Reczek's "performance in the game and pay tribute to his wonderful performance as Viktor Vektor."

How AI recreated Miłogost Reczek's voice in Cyberpunk 2077

To recreate Reczek's voice, CD Projekt Red first hired a new voice actor to record all the necessary lines for Phantom Liberty. Following this, a Ukraine-based voice-cloning software called Respeecher created an algorithm to alter the dialog to sound like Reczek. The use of AI in Phantom Liberty was done with permission from the ?Reczek family. According to Szwed, Reczek's sons were very supportive.

This isn't the first time Respeecher has been used in major AAA games. When developing God of War Ragnarok, Santa Monica had to use the software to keep Sunny Suljic's voice consistent throughout the development process. Su??ljic (born 2005) is the voice behind Atreus, and his changing voice was the consequence of a long development cycle extending across his growth spurt.

Though AI can be exceptionally useful in game development, it does come with the possibility that it could permanently replace human voice actors. This has been a concern for SAG-AFTRA, which also represents perf?ormers in the ??gaming industry.

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Now that Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty has been out for roughly a week, players are reaching the new ending for the base game. It's one of the expansion's selling points and one of the big??gest curiosit?ies for me.

I've beaten Cyberpunk 2077 several times since? its launch, and I like how it handles several of its endings. If not outright tragic, many are bittersweet. V's best-case scenario is having about six months to live as they're essentially an engram in their own body. Despite having little time to live, they can still become a legend by taking on an impossible feat, with all roads leading to one climactic finale.

My assumption going into Phantom Liberty's new ending was that it'd somehow tie into this last-ditch effort. I wasn't sure how much sense it'd make to incorporate the NUSA in the bas??e game's climax, but I would have been here for it.

What I got makes far more sense and is far more devastating than I imagined. I wasn't expecting a happy ending, but Cyberpunk 2077's new conclusion is u??psetting. I don't want to go ahead and call this a "Bad End", but it hit in a way I couldn't have foreseen.

As a precaution, there are heavy spoilers for Cyberpunk 2077's new ending since I'll be going over most of its important details. Also best to bring tissues ??for th?is one.

Time passes and people move on

I admit, I wasn't expecting V to find a cure in this new Tower ending, but they do. It's honestly the only en??ding V can definitively live beyond their twenties, but the price for life is high.

When Solomon Reed informs V of a procedure for extracting the Relic, the promise is a days-long surgery before weeks of recovery in an undisclosed location. Another part of this promise is that V could return to their life in Night City after surgery if the??y wished.

Johnny ??and V's last conversation is bitter as the former expresses the pair??'s journey led to nothing. He eventually accepts V's decision as they're sedated.

V unfortunately spends two years in a coma, leaving litt??le to return to. On top of that, Reed informs them that damage to the nervous system me??ans using intensive cyberware risks death.

Reed offers a job working for the FIA, but V at most considers the position. Regardless the??y still want to?? go back to Night City.

Afterward, they learned their friends there moved on. Judy for instance moved to Ph??iladelphia with her wife. Panam meanwhile refuses to speak to V.

Viktor does offer to look at V when they get to Night City, but upon arriving finds Misty's Esoterica closed. In its place is a Zetatech store with Viktor working for the corp. He reaffirms what Reed said, confirming V? can never?? work as an elite mercenary again.

A disheartened V? is further beaten down by a pair of no-name thugs who push them down a flight of stairs. It's there they finally meet Misty who reveals she's leaving Night City to find herself in Poland.

The game ends after they reconcile, and it's hard not to feel melancholy. Yet on the same token, there's a glimmer of hope for finding? something new.

Choosing the quiet life over becoming a legend

V's first conversation with Dexter DeShawn has him asking what they would choose: to live a quiet life, or die young to become a legend. V becomes a legend in most base game endings, but it's not as if ??they had a choice. They were dragged into Johnny Silverhand's war against Arasaka, and the only path to a cure was doing what he couldn't.

Utilizing the bonds formed throughout Cyberpunk 2077 to take Arasaka down is empowering, and V solidifies their status as a legend by defeating Adam Smasher. There's satisfaction in achieving something this monumental even when V has little time to live after. They make history in most endings. Phantom Liberty allows them to not do that.

V can finally choose the quiet life. The conversation with Misty is especially enlightening because V can finally understand how she lives. Despite not seeing each other for years, I believe this moment is the most connected the friends have ever been because V now sees the world as Misty does.

Misty reassures her friend there's much to this world beyond what they know. These changes may have been unforeseen, but she reframes them as V's second?? shot at ??life.

I've seen takes calling this ending bleak, and while I ??can see that, I disagree. Seeing V as a shell of their former self is disempowering, but their ne??wfound potential is greater than ever. My heart shattered, but not in a way I felt in a game.

Living with unforeseen changes and life's lack of excitement

Part of what hits so hard about The Tower ending is that V becomes relatable to someone like me. I can't put my shoes in a slick cyber ninja, but I know how it is feeling lost and hopeless. I a??lso relate to someone who ??thought they had more friends than they did.

V is around their mid-twenties, and so am I. It's a decade of sweeping changes before hopefully?? settling in with a fulfilling purpose??.

Among these probably include making radical life decisions and meeting some amazing friends. That latter ??part especially might be true for a while, but sometimes you lose contact with those friends.

It happens even when you don't want to. Then life calms down. The excitement vanishes. It hurt??s lo??sing contact with previously close relationships.

Life can feel pointless sometimes, but it often takes a little re??assurance to know things will get better. Sometimes that comes from a familiar voice? who stayed with you through the exciting times and the dull ones. It can also come from an unexpected source who gives comfort in a way you never expected.

That's what I see in The Tower ending, even if I understand why it's upsett?ing. For such an exciting adventure, it's a surprisingly boring and melancholic conclusion.

At least, it's those things when compared to how stories within the cyberpunk genre play out. V found an out from the corporate and political warfare and took it. Even if the con??????????????????????????sequences were higher than expected, V has a better chance for a peaceful life as the world simply moved on in their absence.

There's something gratifying in seeing what should be such a pessimistic ending have such a hopeful note attached to it. One where V may have lost so much but can still rebuild with a new perspec??tive.

It's what even The Tower card in tarot is about, since Cyberpunk 2077 each ending's name comes from the deck's major arcana. It symbolizes unforeseen changes and even chaos, but it also means renewal and liberation. In every essence, this is ?as much a new beginning?? as it is a conclusion for V's story.

My personal favorite ending is still The Star ending, since V can lead a comfortable life outside Nig?ht City. It's a satisfyi??ng conclusion since they find contentment while remaining a living legend, arguably the best of all worlds.

Still, The Tower is Cyberpunk 2077's most emotionally raw endi?ng for me. It ?taps into something not many games tackle, and that's others moving on when you haven't.

Heartbreak sucks, but eventually, we pick ourselves back up and gather the pieces we have to create something better??. V did just that after Konpeki Plaza, and they can do it again.

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These days, most would agree that Cyberpunk 2077 is a fantastic game, rife with dystopian goodness. In fact, CD Projekt Red recently announced it had sold 25 million copies, proving how the tides have truly turned??. Not content to rest on its laurels, the studio has also just released the next update.

Patch 2.01 has started rolling out and, as with all good updates, comes with a caval??cade of tweaks and bug fixes. There are some notable repairs to various quests, as well as addressing the gameplay in general, such as an "issue that could cause V to become invulnerable to all damag?e."

There's also been fixes to some of the missions in Phantom Liberty, including patching one ??that could "cause V to get stuck in the wall or roof after performing a Finisher on Kurt Hansen."

No more major updates, though

Despite the obvious work that's still being put into Cyberpunk 2077, CDPR has said there'll be no more major updates for the game. The big 2.0 patch and Phantom Liberty DLC were the last significant changes the team made to the ??sci-fi RPG.

Going forward, the developer will likely be putting all its chips into the Cyberpunk follow-up (currently titled "Orion") as well as the new Witcher saga and remake of the first Witcher game. In short: it's going to be a very b??usy next few years for the once-disgraced studio.

Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 2.01 notes

Phantom Liberty-specific

• Balls to the Wall - When talking to Paco, repeating the blue dialogue option from the Corpo lifepath will no longer block progress.
• Dog Eat Dog - Fixed an issue where it was possible to earn multiple Relic points by triggering the first meeting with Songbird more than once.
• Firestarter - Fixed an issue that could cause V to get stuck in the wall or roof after performing a Finisher on Kurt Hansen.

Moving Heat

• Fixed an issue that could cause all traffic to disappear after completing the quest.
• Fixed an issue where triggering combat in the garage in specific scenarios could cause various disruptions to quest flow.

• New Person, Same Old Mistakes - Fixed an issue where the gate to Bill's hot dog stand was closed.

Somewhat Damaged

• Fixed an issue preventing the player from scanning the Neural Network system.
• Various fixes for devices in the bunker.

• The Killing Moon - Fixed an issue that caused the doors leading to the shuttle to not open.

You Know My Name

• Fixed an issue where V could remain connected to the sniper nest, blocking quest progress, after repeatedly switching cameras at the end of the sequence.
• Reed will now wear his party outfit during the dialogue with Songbird.

• Addressed an issue where some phone calls necessary to continue the main story began with a delay.
• Various visual fixes for animations, lighting, scenes, VFX, and more.
• Performance improvements for both PC and consoles, especially in the Dogtown area.

Quests & Open World

• Automatic Love - The distortion effect caused by talking to Johnny and selecting a specific dialogue option at the end of the quest will no longer persist on the screen.
• Ghost Town - Fixed an issue where the quest could get stuck on the "Defeat Nash and his people" objective if the game was saved during combat prior to Update 2.0.

Gig: Breaking News

• Fixed an issue where Ted Fox's car didn't spawn.
• Fixed an issue where the gig wouldn't trigger after approaching the quest area.

• Gig: Going-Away Party - Fixed an issue where it wasn't possible to get in the car with Flavio because it spawned underground.
• Gig: The Lord Giveth and Taketh Away - Fixed an issue where the Militech SUV spawned underground.

Killing in the Name

• Fixed an issue where leaving the quest unfinished could block clue scanning, preventing the player from progressing in many quests.
• Fixed an issue where the Bartmoss Collective website wasn't visible in some cases.

• Playing for Time - Fixed an issue where healing and radio icons disappeared from the HUD after the car chase with Takemura.
• Space Oddity - Fixed an issue where the quest didn't activate if the location was approached prior to Update 2.0.

The Heist

• Fixed an issue where Jackie wasn't present in front of the Afterlife.
• Fixed an issue where, when riding the elevator to the 42nd floor with low FPS, V could fall through the floor and die.

• The Prophet's Song - Fixed an issue where completing the quest could cause the police system to turn a blind eye to V's crimes.
• The Ripperdoc - Fixed an issue where, if the player got into the driver's seat from the passenger seat, Jackie would return to the noodle stand and refuse to drive to the ripperdoc.
• Fixed an issue where NCPD Scanner Hustles could remain uncompleted even after looting the necessary containers.
• Fixed an issue where some Iconic weapons wouldn't appear on wall of the Stash in V's apartment.
• Lowered the value of the Attribute check required to enter the area where the Thermal Katana can be looted.

Gameplay

• Made it possible to properly switch to Arm cyberware by cycling through weapons.
• Addressed an issue that could cause V to become invulnerable to all damage.
• A wrecked NCPD cruiser without wheels won't be patrolling the streets of Night City anymore.
• Fixed an issue where some obsolete mods in the Inventory and Stash weren't properly exchanged for a new weapon mod.
• Fixed an issue where weapons obtained pre-Update 2.0 could have a Tier that's too high when compared to the player's level.
• Removed various obsolete Crafting Specs.
• Disassembling a Budget Arms Slaught-O-Matic will now give 1 crafting component.

PC-specific

• Fixed an issue where the UI could show controller inputs when playing on keyboard and mouse.
• Players unable to get achievements due to an issue that prevented Phantom Liberty achievements from unlocking on PC before a backend fix implemented on the day of the release will have them retroactively unlocked on GOG and Steam after loading a save from that playthrough. For the Epic Games Store, the issue is still under investigation.
• Fixed an issue where, after installing Update 2.0 but not the expansion on GOG, a pop-up saying "Phantom Liberty downloaded - please return to the main menu to access new content" could appear in the in-game menu.
• Improved image quality of DLSS Ray Reconstruction in the Ultra Performance setting.

Console-specific

• Addressed the issue of corrupted saves on PlayStation by increasing the maximum save file size limit. Note: this won't fix saves corrupted before the update.
• Fixed an issue where launching the game without an internet connection would prompt the player to log into GOG My Rewards again.

Miscellaneous

• Various crash fixes on PC and consoles.
• Vehicle radio volume has been adjusted so it's no longer too quiet compared to other sounds in the game. If you've turned down the volume of other sounds in order to better hear the radio, you may want to re-adjust the volume before you continue playing.
• Added sounds for the Basilisk that were missing.
• Fixed an issue where the player could earn an infinite score in Trauma Drama by shooting at enemies dropping from a helicopter repeatedly.
• Growl FM and Dark Star websites will now be visible when playing without Phantom Liberty.
• Fixed an issue where disconnecting the internet didn't result in an error message being displayed in My Rewards and Cross Progression tabs.
• The song History by Gazelle Twin and Trash Generation will now be disabled when the "Disable Copyrighted Music" option is turned on.
• Fixed an issue where hair didn't cast shadows when Ray Tracing was enabled.
• Players who pre-ordered Phantom Liberty but didn't get the Quadra Sport R-7 "Vigilante" will now receive it.
• Several improvements and changes to Ukrainian localization, including fixes for lines where the translation lost its original meaning.

REDmod

• Fixed an issue where tweak mods would not compile in REDmod.
• Added Phantom Liberty support to REDmod.

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Cyberpunk 2077 has reached a new milestone by selling 25 million copies, with 3 million co?pies sold in the first week of launch. CD Projekt Red announced this today along with some interesting statistics regarding the IP and the studio's other games.

An image reveals what platforms players are enjoying the game's latest DLC, Phantom Liberty, on. The majority of Phantom Liberty's units have been sold on PC. Of the 68% on the platform, 10% are playing on GOG.com. There are 13% on Xbox Series X/S, and the remaining 20% are on PS5. These are all excellent numbers for CD Projekt Red, especially when one remembers the rocky launch the game had which eventually led to it being pulled off the PS Store.

Some of the stats reveal what a mammoth task it was to resurrect the game. Phantom Liberty required 275 million PLN (almost $63 million)? for direct production expenditure and 95 million PLN in marketing c?osts (almost $22 million). It took 360 developers from CD Projekt Red, and there were 3,600 people engaged in the project.

Looking more widely, the studio also reveals that it has sold 100 million copies across its franchises, including The Witcher. This puts the studio in a good position as it prepares to expand its franchises with a new The Witcher game.

CD Projekt Red's continued investment into Cyberpunk has clearly paid off, and although the studio has stated that Phantom Liberty is the last major DLC, it is not done with the IP just yet. It has also been announced that a live-ac?tion project is in the works in collaboration with Anonymous Content.

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The fact that Starfield has been nominated for several awards at the Golden Joystick Awards suggests it's a game that's doing quite well for itself. Of course, it has its faults as any game does, which is why Cyberpunk 2077's quest director has leaped to its defense.

In a recent post on Twitter, CD Projekt Red's own Patrick K. Mills responded to Starfield criticism, in which they insisted they liked the?? game.

The long and the short of it is, user Synth Potato gave a fairly lengthy assessment of the Bethesda RPG, specifically when it came to the studio's Creation Engine. Comparing it to Cyberpunk 2077, the post argues that Starfield is "outdated,", particularly in light of cutscenes and animations. This ??has been an ongoing feud of sorts for a few weeks on the Twitter-verse, but now we have an actual response from a CD Projekt R??ed developer.

It all comes down to design, Mills says

In response to this, Mills argues that Starfield's cinematics and animation are "not d??own to engine so much as it is tools and design." While they admit they're not "an engine guy," they d?o go on to say that Bethesda's scenes are "staged in a more refined way."

The post chain goes into further detail, with Mills saying that the developer is "just doing something different with [its] t??ime and that??'s cool." The thread closes by adding that "not every game can do every thing," and as such, not all features can be as refined as people would like.

It's up to you to decide whether you agree with this or not. For now, Cyberpunk 2077's quest director at least wants to throw some love Starfield's way.

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Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is here with the 2.0 update, reinventing the game's progression again. The new skill trees present are Cyberpunk 2077??'s second overhaul after the 1.5 update initially changed them.

Seeing Cyberpunk 2077's evolution is remarkable as someone who stuck with it since its disastrous launch. I revisited it often to see the new inclusions, slowly transforming Cyberpunk 2077 into a comfort game. Night ?City's streets and ??back alleys slowly burned into my memory as I drove across the neon-lit cityscapes, taking on gigs and taking a different route in the story.

Adding onto this comfortable vibe, I almost always attempted the same build. I went into Cyberpunk 2077 to be a cyber ninja. From launch day to now, I wanted to primarily toss away guns to be a slick lesbian who throws knives before closing the distance with a sword??. I sometimes indulged in netrunning, but that was never my primary goal.

If I repeat a build in a game, it typically feels incredibly similar to the previous attempt. Maybe some tweaks with a perk here and there, but never anything drastically different. Cyberpunk 2077 is differe??nt because each cyber ninja build made me feel like I was playing a way better game.

Being a cyborg ninja before 1.5 was a tad rough

To say I made many concessions with my first cyber ninja would be an understatement. Swords were still usable and pretty cool, but knives were fatally flawed. Throwing knives is an option like with the current version, but only after choosing the Dagger Dealer perk. This isn't an issue, but its usefulness vanishes as ??soon as I have to awkwardly pick my knife back up from a corpse.

Again, this isn't an issue if knives were a consumable resource, but they weren't! Throwing a knife just removed it from the three weapo?n slots available! This meant staying true to my aspirations involved sifting through menus after throwing a couple of knives and carrying a bunch with me. Aga??in, either that or trying to get my knife back from an enemy.

This was insulting. My dreams vanished like a shinobi with optical camo there and then. I was made to use technology popularized after the 17th century, and it h??urt.

Messing about Night City had its moments st?ill. To compensate fo??r the lack of throwing knives, I primarily hacked enemies as my long-range attack with a pistol and assault rifle as backups. A hacker/ninja combo was cool and efficient, if far from my original idea.

I finished Cyberpunk 2077, enjoying my time but overall underwhelmed. It crashed ?constantly, and bugs swarmed Night City, so ??I moved on to other games.

Cyberpunk 2077 was a fine game with some beautiful scenes, but it didn't live up to a decade of hype. I tolerated this unstable mess because I love jank, but I was still burned. This was a lesson in hype, a?nd I figured a comeback story wasn't in the books since it was a single-player game and people move on quickly.

Update 1.5 transformed me into Night City's silent killer

Cyberpunk 2077's 1.5 update, otherwise known as the next-gen update, was always going to reel me in. My PS5 lacked many games native to it, and I figured to see what CD Projekt Red fixed. It was around here that I grew to love Cyberpunk 2077.

The visuals for instance received a noticeable overhaul. Night City was less flat and came more to life, especially after sundown, and I indulge?d in the photo mode. There was also new content including apartments and missions, and the perks system was overhauled.

What I wanted to see most is if throwing knives still sucked, and they didn't! Guns no longer restricted me as I could return as a full-blown cyber ninja. My body may have the latest technology, but not what I ??held in my hands.

As my skills improved, I began juggling knives with ease. Most fel??l beneath my feet with a quick throw to the head, and chaos reigned as my expert netrunning skills whittled numbers before I entered the hostile area. This build was safe even if it prevented me from experimenting with things like the time-slowing Sandevistan.

This was how the game should have launched, I thought to myself. Bugs persisted, but this resembled the game I wanted it to be. It only took a year, but I let myself divulge in Night City's splendor before cutting ??through thugs as if they were ??butter.

I played on and off throughout 2022 and even watched Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, an awesome show in its own right. A new expansion being announced still surprised me, but I was back on board with Cyberpunk 2077.

Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 made me Night City's explosive phantom

It was another year before I returned to Cyberpunk 2077 in anticipation of its expansion and latest update. If the 1.5 update was to fix what was there, 2.0 gutted everything an?d replaced the foundation with something better.

Progression is where this new foundation i?s most evident. Reworked cyberware and no randomization of loot somehow streamline progression w??hile still adding depth. I am now considering what enhancements suit my character's build while forming an attachment to my gear.

The cherry on top of this bloody ??sundae is the overhauled skill trees. Things like crafting tiers and throwing knives are not tied to pe??rks, opening up space for interesting options to take their place.

I naturally made my character another cyber ninja to see how s?he differs. Her playstyle still deviates from my original concept in 2020, but for once it's by design rather than restriction.

With stats split between C??ool, Reflexes, and Technical Ability, my latest ninja can work as quietly or loudly as she needs to. Her primary weapons are still her trusty sword and knife, but a firearm is always by her side if needed.

She also has several hidden tricks, one being her trusty Sandevistan, which saved my life numerous times. The same goes for her Projecti??l?e Launch System, an arm cannon that works great in a pinch.

The best part of this latest build is undoubtedly the air dash. Dashing on the ground is awesome, but ai?r dashing has her gliding across the sky. Combining these with powerful throwing knives and the Sandevistan makes for a build that eviscerates groups before anyone's reflexes kick in.

After three years, my V has become a soul made of rage and fear. She can be everywhere like a ghost and is now truly a thing ??of be??auty.

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Cyberpunk 2077 is getting another patch just a couple of weeks after the 2.0 update dropped. D??espite receiving a slew of gameplay overhaul??s and bug fixes, it can still be a glitchy game.

CD Projekt Red announced the patch on its website with fixes both platform-specific and across all releases. Most of these aren't large improvements, ranging from adjusting radio songs' volume to properly init??iating a glitched gig. One now-fixed bug I experienced is the distorted screen effect not disappearing after the Automatic Love quest.

Two notes are particularl?y notable as ??fairly big fixes, though.

The first is a nasty bug that corrupts PS5 saves for exceeding file li?mits, and the studio's solution is increasing the maximum size for files. Corrupted saves are unfortunately not recoverable, and CDPR recommends you keep a manual save before the corrupted point.

More so on the side of general improvements, performance should see a bump across all platforms, with upgrades to Dogtown, notably. It's technically an improvement throughout Cyberpunk's wor?ld, but Dogtown was highlighted as a?? notable area where issues occurred.

The post implies several smaller fixes are also on the way as CD Projekt Red mentions those noted are just the highlights. Another thing missing fro??m the post is a specific release date for the patch other than it's coming soon.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a far more stable release than in 2020, but it's great that CD Projekt Red is still regularly rolling out more fixes. It's not a surprise a content drop as big as Phantom Liberty introduced a few more problems the team is working on fixing. Hopefully, Cyberpunk 2077 will?? stand as a finely polished RPG by the time it's last fixes release.

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CD Projekt RED has issued an apology, after it was discovered the Ukrainian localization of Cyberpunk 2077 includes a remarkably comprehensive array of anti-Russian references. These range from prominently featured graffiti all the way to niche terminology that will l??argely be unfamiliar to anyone n?ot from Ukraine or the surrounding countries.

These sentiments are notably not prevalent throughout all versions of Cyberpunk 2077. These were found in the Ukrainian localization of Cyberpunk 2077, which recently went live alongside the 2.0 update. The job was given to the Ukrainian company SBT Localization, per the game's credits. It's also worth noting that CDPR has been vocal about the war in the past, taking actions that include halting sales in Russia.

"The release version of Ukrainian localization of Cyberpunk 2077 features elements of dialogues that can be considered offensive by Russian gamers," said CD Projekt Red in a translated statement given to IGN. "These lines have not been written by CD Projekt Red staff and do not represen??t our views. We are working to produce correct lines and substitute them in the ne??xt update."

Localization manager Mariia Strilchuk provided a follow-up statement, whic??h was also provided to IGN:

"I’d like to clarify regarding the corrections to the Ukrainian localization. They refer to the lines where the translation lost its original meaning, includ?ing certain references to the Russian-Ukrainian war. Our support to Ukraine remains unchanged, but we pr??efer to show it through positive actions."

Cyberpunk future

Rock, Paper, Shotgun ?contacted the organizers of Indie Cup, a Kyiv-based game festival, to help nail down some of the most egre?gious examples of anti-Russian sentiments in the new update's Ukrainian translation. From the looks of it, there's absolutely no shortage of stuff to uncover.

According to Indie Cup's Arsenii Tarasov, the original English dialogue "We're fucking through" got translated to "Go fuck yourself in the same direction as the ship did." Similarly, an in-game police officer's "Couldn't all these assho??les bite it ??out in the Badlands?" turned into "Couldn't all this rusnia bite it out in the Badlands?" Rusnia, according to Tarasov, is a Ukrainian derogatory term used to reference Russians.

All of thes?e, including in-game graffiti of?? Crimea with the Ukrainian insignia slapped on top of it, is likely to get removed soon, if CDPR is to be believed.

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Cyberpunk 2077's first DLC, Phantom Liberty, officially releases today. Since the game has been regarded favorably (thanks to post-launch updates), many have been looking forward to new content. ??However, some may not be impressed by what developer CD Projekt Red has done in preparation.

In a post on Twitter, the studio announced that, in time for Phantom Liberty's launch, the team has decided to disable mods for Cyberpunk 2077.

According to the post, this is to "prevent issues with the game that are caused by mods before ?they receive their update from the modding communit??y." It's an act of precaution and not a permanent move. At the time of writing, there's no indication of when the studio will re-enable them.

CDPR keeps a watchful eye

While some will understand CDPR's decision, others ??will be a little peeved that mods temporari?ly lost their official support. For now, at least.

This is also not the first time the Polish developer has maintained a presence in the modding community. Back in December 2022, the studio posted on its forum regarding the then-upcoming "next-gen" release of The Witcher 3.

It seemed tha??t many were concerned that mods would not work correctly for the upgraded version of the RPG. However, CDPR released a list of popular mods that it had pe??rsonally checked, outlining which ones would be compatible with the update.

Hopefully, it won't be long before the developer does turn mods on again for Cyberpunk 2077. A lot of PC gamers have grown accustomed to playing improved, non-vanilla versions of games, so they won't want to stick with the base e??xperience for too long.

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The digita?l gaming world has been on the grow for years an?d while Steam is arguably the head honcho, GOG.com is a worthy alternative. Beginning life in 2008, the PC storefront is currently celebrating its 15th year with a mega sale event that sees hundreds of games being discounted.

If you head over to the GOG website, you can peruse all the games that have had their prices slashed for the celebrations. There's pretty much something for everyone here, whether you want 40% off Cyberpunk 2077, 75% off the GOTY edition of Fallout 3, or some other percent signs attached to some ????other game.

There's also a blog post that gives a little bit of history about the service, as well as a few facts ??about the website. For example, did you know you can use the famous Konami code on the homepage?

Intended to preserve PC gaming

Started by CD Projekt around the time it found fame with the Witcher series, Good Old Game?s was born as a means of digitally distributing PC games. This idea goes back even further �to 1994 �in which the company wanted a way of combating video game piracy in Poland by, as the website itself says, "o??ffering classic games at budget-friendly prices."

As the digital age grew in the 2000s, the likes of GOG.com have become a haven for "forgotten gems." While the company responsible for it would become better known as the developer of AAA games (under the CD Projekt Red brand), its PC gaming storefront is a strong force in the quest to ??keep classic games in circulation.

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The 2.0 update for Cyberpunk 2077 is out, and it contains a ton of changes big and small to CD Projekt Red's RPG world. But hidden away in 2077 is a reference just for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners fans, and an especially emotional one at that.

It's no surprise that, after the massive popularity of the Studio Trigger and Netflix anime, CD Projekt would find a way to work the world of Edgerunners more into its digital Night City in Cyberpunk 2077. Heck, we've already seen a few additions, ranging from a special gun to David's signature jacket. With the 2.0 update, though, CD Projekt Red put in a tribute to not just one or two, but several different characters who all made Cyberpunk: Edgerunners what it is.

(Spoilers will follow for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, so go watch it if you haven't yet. Seriously, it's very good.)

Head to the Columbarium

To find these tributes, head to the Columbarium on the east side of Night City. It's the site where NC denizens can purchase niches, to commemorate the dead. Throughout Cyberpunk 2077, different characters who die will get their own site here, with loving messages left behind. And if you've seen Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, you're proba?bly ahead of me on w??here this is going.

As spotted by players around social media, Edgerunners lead David Martinez now has another official tribute in Cyberpunk 2077 in the Columbarium. Head to the?? main entrance and walk directly forward, towards the dead-end with several text inscriptions all around, and you'll spot David amo?ng them.

The inscription reads: "You didn't take me to the moon, but you were there with ??me." Feels like a pretty obviou??s confirmation that Lucy left this tribute for David. And it's not the only one, either.

Scattered around the Columbarium, both near David's location and other parts among the many rows, are tributes to other Edgerunners characters. I found Gloria Martinez,?? Kiwi, Rebecca, Maine, and a bunch of the crew. All seem to be written by Lucy, too.

While this isn't a confirmation that Lucy's running around somewhere in the interactive world of Cyberpunk 2077, it at least leaves a lasting mark of Edgerunners on the video game. And a pretty somber one, too. It's a terrible time for rain, while I'm sitting here, writing this.

Whether more secret references to Edgerunners are hidden away in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0, we'll have to see, The patch notes that confirmed there was an update to the niches at the Columbarium also ?tease that "more secrets" are waiting to be discove?red in Night City.

Players will have to discover them. Given that there's a ??new update out now and a great expansion right around the corner, there probably won't be a shortage of secret-hunte?rs on the prowl.

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