Though Cyberpunk 2077 featured well-known actor, Keanu Reeves, gamers were unsatisfied with its bugs|Delyth Angharad|CC BY-NC 2.0
Cyberpunk 2077, one of the most expensive games ever, was released in 2020. And it was a big flop. Cut to 2023, the game made a turnaround and won the best ongoing game award.
Though the game featured actor Keanu Reeves, gamers were frustrated with all the bugs making it unplayable at launch, which prompted Sony to remove it from the PlayStation store.
Despite all the setbacks, CD Projekt decided to fix the bugs rather than abandon the project.
By June 2021, essential fixes were complete, and Cyberpunk 2077 returned to PlayStation. The company released 24 software updates for improvement and added an expansion pack, Phantom Liberty, in September 2023.
The turnaround
The $30 expansion has a different story and features Hollywood star Idris Elba. In October, Cyberpunk 2077 sales exceeded 25 million units.
Cyberpunk 2077’s reputation got a further boost when it won at the Game Awards. The franchise’s revival comes when global consumer spending on games largely remained flat in 2023.