In an insane turn of events, Sony has decided to pull the plug on selling Cyberpunk 2077 in the PlayStation store until further notice.
This comes 3 days after CD Projekt Red instructed unsatisfied customers to request a refund from Sony for the poor performance of the base PS4 version of the game, after public outcry. The game was referred to as unplayable by much of the community and would dip down to as low as 15 frames during gameplay.
PLAYSTATION WILL GIVE REFUNDS FOR THE PURCHASE OF CYBERPUNK 2077
A few moments ago, the official channels of Sony Interactive Entertainment and PlayStation, reported that they have agreed to refund purchases of Cyberpunk 2077 made in the PS Store. Those who are interested in seeing their money back, simply log in and enter this link and then click on the application submission section. You do not have to fill out formats, or anything like that, in fact, PlayStation opened this separate site for the process to be carried out and more easily.
SIE strives to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction, and we will begin to offer a full refund for all gamers who have purchased Cyberpunk 2077 via PlayStation Store and want a refund. Please visit the following link to initiate the refund: https://t.co/DEZlC0LmUG.
— Ask PlayStation (@AskPlayStation) December 18, 2020
CYBERPUNK 2077 WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE PS STORE
Bug-riddled launches aren’t anything new in the AAA gaming industry, with many studios forced to release massive Day-1 Patches and more to fix the games’ performance.
However, Cyberpunk 2077’s current state seems to have forced Sony to pull the game entirely from the store. This marks the first time SIE has decided to remove a AAA game entirely until further notice.
This probably will put a tonne of pressure on CD Projekt Red to roll out the patches as quickly as possible. Sony have also further assured fans who have bought the game that they can avail a refund.
SIE’s focus entirely right now seems to be on customer satisfaction the game is, more or less, unplayable in its current state. Sony’s statement on the PlayStation website reads:
“Once we have confirmed that you purchased Cyberpunk 2077 via PlayStation Store, we will begin processing your refund. Please note that completion of the refund may vary based on your payment method and financial institution.”
WHAT THIS MEANS
It remains hard to believe that CD Projekt RED would release a game that is seemingly broken on the current-gen consoles, especially when you consider that most gamers don’t even have a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S to play yet. Considering PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan told the Washington Post “The PS4 community will continue to be incredibly important to us for three or four years,” and that “tens of millions will still be engaged with the PS4,” why does it seem like CD Projekt RED only cared about optimizing Cyberpunk 2077 for the PS5?
The studio has promised that “two large patches” are coming in January and February of next year, but that could be too late. The fact that Sony Interactive Entertainment has decided to completely remove the game from their store is a huge monetary blow for CD Projekt RED. As PS5’s remain difficult to purchase online or in-stores, gamers are being forced to continue using their PS4s, and now Cyberpunk 2077 has been removed as an option.
Now the question is, when will Cyberpunk 2077 will return to the PS Store? The assumption would be after updates and patches have proven that the game now works well on PS4, but that could be over two months away. This step from Sony does show how far the company is willing to go to take care of their customers, as offering system-wide full refunds is not an everyday occurrence.
