How Cyberpunk 2077 became a success after a bad start

But it's been a few years, and now, after numerous updates, patches, and a lot of DLC, the question is: is Cyberpunk 2077 worth going back to? How was CD Projekt Red able to fix its mistakes and take the game to the next level?

1. Bad start: why did everything go wrong?
At the time of its release, Cyberpunk 2077 truly promised to be one of the biggest games of all time. Promotional materials, trailers and announcements raised expectations to incredible heights. However, when the game was released, many were disappointed: bugs, stuttering graphics, and performance issues on various platforms, including older versions of consoles, became the main critics.

Players encountered numerous technical problems: FPS drops, game elements that did not work properly, poorly designed animations and even serious glitches that affected the overall experience of the game. As a result, many people began to abandon the purchase of the game or returned it after a few hours in the world of Night City.

2. Updates and Patches: The First Steps to Improvement
To restore reputation and fix bugs, CD Projekt Red started working on updates right after release. The first patches released in January 2021 were focused on fixing the most obvious bugs: bug fixes, performance stability, and improved game optimization on last generation consoles.

However, the most important update came a little later — in June 2021, when CD Projekt Red presented the massive patch 1.3. This update brought significant changes to the game: not only bugs and technical issues were fixed, but also greatly improved the NPC AI, improved the character progression system and made changes to the story missions to avoid "empty" moments.

3. Major DLC and content enhancements
But the real breakthrough for the game was Phantom Liberty - the first major DLC for Cyberpunk 2077, which was released in September 2023. This expansion not only added a new storyline with new characters and locations, but also brought important changes to the core game mechanics. Improved shooting, new types of weapons and rethinking of all combat mechanisms made it possible to experience the game anew.

With the addition of new story missions and deeper storylines, Phantom Liberty was able to not only rekindle interest in the game, but also make it feel like CD Projekt Red was really starting to deliver on the promises that were left unfulfilled at release. However, one of the biggest changes was a complete rethinking of the game's elements, which makes it much more multifaceted and interesting.

4. Optimization and improvement of productivity
One of the most painful aspects of launch — performance on older consoles — has also been addressed. With new updates, especially after the release for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, the performance of the game has improved significantly. Framerate issues on older consoles have been fixed, and the game on newer systems has started to run with higher stability and graphical improvements.

The developers also added the ability to play Cyberpunk 2077 in a new "60 FPS mode" mode on new consoles, which greatly improved the experience. Technical improvements also included bug fixes, optimization of maps and animations, which made the world of Night City more alive and realistic.

5. Moral aspect and reputation correction
With all the technical fixes and improvements, Cyberpunk 2077 has proven to be more than just a strong advertising campaign. One of the main steps in restoring the reputation was the developers' appeal to the player community. CD Projekt Red has been actively communicating with their audience through social media and forums, informing them of how they are working to improve the game. They also promised that the game will receive free updates and new major updates in the future.

Players who experienced the frustration of the initial issues realized that the developers were listening to their feedback, and this gave them hope to improve the experience. This approach helped to restore credibility to the CD Projekt Red brand, although it was not easy to fix all the reputational problems.

6. Should we go back to Cyberpunk 2077?
Today, Cyberpunk 2077 is a vastly improved game that deserves attention. Many of the issues that were present at release have now been fixed or minimized, and players can enjoy the world of Night City without major technical glitches. In addition, the big expansion "Phantom Liberty" breathes new life into the game, adding not only content, but also changes to the core mechanics, making it much more interesting.

If you still haven't tried Cyberpunk 2077, or after a bad start you've decided to put the game away for now, now is the best time to come back. The game offers an impressive open world, an exciting story and an incredible atmosphere. Technical issues are now minimal, and even the myriad of minor flaws can be forgiven due to the depth and detail of the world.

Sure, it's not perfect, and there are still some issues with it, but Cyberpunk 2077 is a different experience today than it was when it was originally released, and with all the improvements, many players can once again consider it one of the best RPGs out there. on the market.