Rumor: Cyberpunk 2077 Aiming to Release in 2019, but Will Be Delayed to First Half of 2020
The next game from the Polish studio CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk 2077, is one of the most anticipated games by the gaming community. For that reason, for months fans have been speculating its release date and some tracks pointed that it would make debut this year. However, a reliable source mentioned that this is very unlikely.
Jason Schreirer, journalist and video game editor of Kotaku, is recognized for conducting extensive research on the industry and for having insider contacts who provide him with information that has not been officially disclosed. Last Wednesday, Schreirer responded to a Twitter user saying that Cyberpunk 2077 “is absolutely not coming out this year.”
As expected, the Twitter community questioned him immediately. After a couple of days and his response gained international relevance among the media, Schreirer explained in more detail why a debut this year is unlikely. According to the journalist, his sources claim that CD Projekt Red’s plan was to announce Cyberpunk 2077 by 2019, but the belief within the company is that it was an unrealistic goal. So Schreier believes that the title will be launched during the first quarter of 2020. Nor does he rule out that it be announced for this year, for the end to be delayed to first half of 2020:
This has gotten a lot of Reddit attention so some clarity: I've heard from three sources that Cyberpunk was aiming for 2019, but belief around the studio was that it was an unrealistic target. I expect first half 2020 or maybe even an E3 announcement of 2019, then a delay to 2020 https://t.co/8QsOatEFfJ
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) May 31, 2019
A user asked the editor how common it is for a developer to promise release dates that he knows he cannot meet. Interestingly, Schreirer confirmed that it is quite common. One reason for this unique way of acting is that it could be a motivator for developers, although unfortunately it can also be an incentive for the crunch culture.
I think companies making announcements like "fall 2017" knowing they're not shipping until 2018 is surprisingly common yeah
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) May 31, 2019
I think there could be a lot of reasons. Could be something as simple as "Well we think we have a chance at hitting this, and maybe it'll motivate the team, even if we know it's unlikely"
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) May 31, 2019
The problem with the video game industry is that often delays just means more sustained crunch. Often workers aren't crunching because they're directly asked to, they're crunching because it's part of the company's culture
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) May 31, 2019
The good news is that even if Cyberpunk 2077 doesn’t seem to arrive this year, many details will still be revealed. Do not forget that CD Projekt Red will participate in the E3 2019 event, and even the company will offer public and private gameplay presentations during the great event.
Cyberpunk 2077 will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on a date yet to be announced.
