Cyberpunk 2077 recently received a new DLC announced for the game, titled Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, and it will be officially launched on the 26th of September. It will be the game’s first and quite possibly the only DLC, post which the entire team will be shifting their focus on the upcoming Witcher game. Announcing the same, CD Projekt Red (CDPR), also announced that they’re laying off around 9% of their staff, which is an estimated 100 people in the team. A record 260 developers are said to be working on the new Witcher game, a lot bigger team than the one behind Cyberpunk 2077.
A sequel to the game is also said to be in the works, codenamed Orion, but the team will shift their priority to the aforementioned Witcher game before starting any work on a Cyberpunk sequel.
Related: Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty Details Emerge Ahead of Release
Why Did Cyberpunk 2077 Receive Backlash, Reasons Behind The Game’s Premature Launch
Cyberpunk 2077 was announced all the way back in 2012, initially, with the first look of the game coming a year later in 2013. The game was finally launched in 2020, after being under development for years, and still released with several bugs and glitches that led many to believe that the game was released unfinished. The stakeholders and the studio agreed that it was the best decision, financially, to release the game while the hype was at its peak, back in 2020, despite the apparent size of bugs and glitches present in the game. The game still managed to pass 13 million copies by the end of December 2020.
It took another couple of years for the game to have a decent performance on all the platforms and bring down the bugs to a minimum. Cyberpunk 2077 then went on to launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in Feb last year and at Gamescom this year, also received a DLC announcement. Cyberpunk 2077 – Phantom Liberty will be the game’s only DLC, coming out next month, on the 26th. After the DLC is released, while a team will continue to support the game, CDPR’s priority is to move towards the development of the as-of-yet-unannounced, Witcher game.
While this might be good news to Witcher games series fans, the twist in the tale is that the Cyberpunk series may not be over just yet. CDPR is also said to be working on a sequel, code-named Orion, which is said to be a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077. Despite the backlash that Cyberpunk 2077 received on launch for the half-baked release filled with bugs back in 2020, the studio may not have learned its lesson.
Related: Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty Details Shown Off in New Video – It’s Revolutionary
CD Projekt Red Said To Be Working Towards New Witcher Game
Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty expansion is said to be the swansong of in-house Red Engine, as the team shifts their entire focus towards the next Witcher title, which will shift to Unreal Engine. The team at CDPR has also fired 9% of their staff recently which roughly translates to around 100 employees. The shift to Unreal Engines showcases the studio’s change of pace. While the game might still take a few years, the shift to Unreal Engine has also brought approval from gamers everywhere, with many taking to social media to voice their opinion on how it’s a good move.
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CDPR is also said to have a strong team of around 250 staff working on the next Witcher game and the future release plans from the studio also include an official remake of 2007’s The Witcher, which was the first game in the franchise, as world met Geralt of Rivia for the first time.
Despite Backlash Received On Cyberpunk 2077 During Release, CDPR Shifting Resources
CDPR’s decision to shift resources between their next title in the Witcher series and the unplanned Cyberpunk 2077 sequel might not be a bright idea for the studio going forward. While the studio’s major focus will still be on the Witcher game, another buggy release of the game might just end up bringing the worst possible backlash, whenever the game does release. After the layoffs, the studio is still working on the Witcher game with a record number of staff working on the game.
CD Projekt Red putting an end to the Red Engine at the same time might also herald a new era in the games if all is handled well and the future plans get a bug-free experience upon release. Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty DLC goes live on the 26th of September, the studio’s final game that utilizes the in-house Red Engine.
Source: GizmoChina
