CD Projekt Red has been facing days of success since they launched Update 2.0 for Cyberpunk 2077 and their highly anticipated and well-received DLC, Phantom Liberty. Their experience was not the same when Cyberpunk 2077 originally launched in 2020, with player complaints about the title pouring in right, left, and centre. CD Projekt Red recently revealed how they dealt with this awful launch and the lessons they learned coming from it.
In an interview with InvenGlobal (via Destructoid), CD Projekt Red engineering director, Colin Walder spoke about the teachings they received when Cyberpunk 2077’s launch didn’t go as planned. Walder spoke about the struggles they faced during this tragic launch, and how accepting the situation and working towards it was the only way to move forward for the team.
Another lesson they learned was that performance on consoles should be smooth on day one, as that really created havoc during Cyberpunk 2077’s launch, with the PlayStation Store ultimately pulling the game. These learnings have been implemented towards Polaris, the next Witcher instalment, as the developers have already started to test out the game and perform “internal reviews on the console from the very beginning.”
Walder touched on some other topics such as the inclusion of the work-from-home culture due to the pandemic, and how it can be helpful for the employees, but at the same time causes issues with communication and team building. Walder also talked about the implementation of AI in games and how there are “ethical considerations” that should be followed as the technology comes with a set of pros such as the “potential to be inclusive in a respectful manner”, but can also be used in several negative ways.
