CD Projekt spent $125 million on Cyberpunk 2077 post-launch to salvage the game’s reputation.
According to IGN, the game developer spent $125 million on the Edgerunners and Update 2.0 patches alongside the well-received Phantom Liberty expansion for Cyberpunk 2077. On Oct. 5, CD Projekt revealed that the expansion cost $62.7 million to develop and a further $21.6 million to market. Chief financial officer Piotr Nielubowicz said that bringing Cyberpunk up to next-gen console standards, including the game-changing Update 2.0, cost the company around $40.9 million. Nielubowicz made the revelation during the CD Projekt Investor Day presentation. The money spent on these processes totaled $125.9 million.
Cyberpunk 2077, even before the upgrade, was an expensive game to make, costing the developer $316 million. For context, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, sans inflation, cost $81 million. Other comparisons outside CD Projekt titles include Horizon: Forbidden West and The Last of Us Part 2, which cost $212 million and $200 million, respectively. Cyberpunk 2077 debuted to negative reactions upon launch, with the PlayStation Store eventually delisting the game.
Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.0 laid the foundation for Phantom Liberty, which arrived on Sept. 26 featuring Idris Elba. The upgrade, which included additions to the game’s biggest mystery and a reference to racing icon Kenny Block, completely revamped Cyberpunk 2077 with features such as a new perk system and improved AI. In a remarkable turnaround regarding the game’s reception by players, the updated game now has 87% of users on the PC platform Steam recommending Cyberpunk 2077.
Cyberpunk 2077 Is Getting a Live-action Adaptation
Cyberpunk 2077 is also getting a live-action adaptation. Game developer CD Projekt Red officially announced a new collaboration with Anonymous Content to develop a live-action project set in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe. However, it is yet to be determined if the planned Cyberpunk project will be an episodic series or a feature film, as the project is still in the early stages of development.
Charlie Scully will produce Cyberpunk 2077 alongside Anonymous Content’s Garrett Kemble, David Levine, Bard Dorros and Ryan Schwartz. The creative team behind the game will be involved in some capacity as the project continues to seek a screenwriter. The franchise has also spawned an anime adaptation, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which CD Projekt Red and Studio Trigger co-developed for Netflix.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Microsoft Windows.
Source: IGN
