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Cyberpunk 2077 is a promising game burdened with a sad release, it has lost its bad reputation and enduring popularity, breaking numerous records and going through several milestones, the latest of which came from Steam. After releasing patches 1.5 and 1.6 for Cyberpunk 2077 aimed at correcting the game’s shortcomings and providing much needed quality, CD Projekt Red is looking forward to releasing the game’s first (and only) expansion pack.
CD Projekt Red’s collaboration with Netflix led to an anime spin-off called Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, and as the critically acclaimed Arcane of League of Legends, Edgerunners undoubtedly played a big part in the game’s popularity. It is safe to say that Cyberpunk 2077 is in good shape right now.
Cyberpunk 2077 is the most popular single player game on Steam to date, ahead of RPGs like Path of Exile and Elden Ring. The success of Edgerunners, the release of patch 1.6, and a 50% discount on Steam make Cyberpunk 2077 a worthwhile undertaking for hesitant gamers who haven’t already.
While the current situation for the game is rosy, Cyberpunk 2077’s continued post-launch support is still an uncomfortable question mark for its players. An expansion pack called Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty will be released in 2023, but CD Projekt Red has made no promises for future content of this magnitude. While many players are hoping the recent surge of players will force the development team to reconsider their current position, the harsh reality of the situation is that it doesn’t make much sense from the company’s perspective.
Namely, CD Projekt Red is aware of the possibility of further investment in the Cyberpunk 2077 franchise, but as future projects are moving to Unreal Engine 5, it may be the most sensible decision for developers to focus on the next Witcher and abandon REDengine. 4.
Whether or not Phantom Liberty becomes the final chapter in Cyberpunk 2077’s story, the future of the franchise is unlikely to be hopeless and bleak. The Night City setting is ripe to tell new stories and CD Projekt Red learned many lessons during the development of Cyberpunk 2077 and hopefully this wisdom will be used in the development of its sequel.
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