Cyberpunk 2077 Update Delayed Over Security Breach
Hackers: 1, CD Projekt Red: 0. It's a case of life imitating art, after the much-hyped Cyberpunk 2077 was hit by a recent security breach. Much like the Netrunners within CD Projekt Red's ambitious sci-fi shooter, hackers got into the CDPR headquarters and skimmed as much as they could. Worse than this, they reportedly stole access to the Red Engine, which is the very core of how the developer builds its games.
After ransoms were made and source codes to some of its biggest games apparently sold on the black market., CD Projekt Red has confirmed the knock-on effect that the next Cyberpunk 2077 update has been delayed.
It's safe to say that CDPR hasn't had an easy time of it since Cyberpunk 2077 released in December 2020. After numerous delays throughout last year, some weren't sure if the futuristic adventure game was ever going to release. There were accusations that things were "rushed" to simply get the title out at all, meaning arguments about the state of current-gen copies have continued to rumble. If potential lawsuits weren't enough, there's the fact the first DLC was already delayed, and now, the whole hacking debacle. When will it end?
Why is the Cyberpunk 2077 update being delayed?
With players rightly looking forward to the supersized 1.2 patch and release of the next big update, the official Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter shared the bad news that this was being pushed into the second half of March. Throwing itself to the lions, CDPR explained, "The recent cyber attack on the studio’s IT infrastructure and extensive scope of the update mean this, unfortunately, will not happen — we’ll need some additional time.”
The lengthy statement went on to say, "We’ve been working on numerous overall quality improvements and fixes, and we still have work to do to make sure that’s what you get". Although the developer thanked players for their continued support, you can imagine that the comments section quickly filled with a slew of mocking replies. Alongside the expected "dead game" sneers, others were simply throwing in the towel when it comes to the troubled title.
One outraged fan wrote, "I returned my game twice and STILL feel the need for compensation. The most incompetent developers on EARTH", while another vented, "For the 78th time I would like to ask you how the studio that made something so remarkable like Witcher 3, made something so atrocious like Cyberpunk?" It's interesting that players continue to circle back to the critical and commercial acclaim of 2015's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. It's becoming increasingly clear CDPR might've been the tool of its own undoing giving the runaway success of the Witcher games and overpromising on Cyberpunk 2077.
What's next after the update has been delayed?
Last month the 1.1 patch overhauled the game with bug fixes and general performance perks, however, 1.2 was set to improve this even further. Let's also remember there's the proposed next-gen upgrade for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S AND the eventual release of the first DLC. The developer showed off its impressive roadmap, which is also set to include multiplayer as its own standalone project somewhere down the line. At the rate we're going, some question if we'll ever get there.
It was only a month ago that CDPR Co-Founder Marcin Iwinski spoke to disgruntled fans and admitted that while the game hadn't lived up to launch expectations, it was moving into a new era of the property. Sadly, the delayed Cyberpunk 2077 update is just another setback for an already bumpy roadmap. We keep hoping for a brighter neon-splashed future for Cyberpunk 2077, but with each passing month, things seem to be going from bad to worse. Maybe it's the ghost of Johnny Silverhand, back to haunt us all?
Stay up to date with all the latest esports and gaming news by checking out our social channels here: Twitter | Facebook | Discord
Images via CD Projekt Red