Why Did Cyberpunk 2077 Have Such A Bad Launch Looking Back At The Glitches

In December 2020, the gaming world held its breath for the release of Cyberpunk 2077, one of the most anticipated titles in video game history. Hyped for nearly a decade with cinematic trailers, celebrity cameos, and promises of a revolutionary open-world experience, CD Projekt Red’s magnum opus was expected to redefine immersive RPGs. Instead, players were greeted with a broken, glitch-ridden mess—especially on last-generation consoles. The game launched with so many issues that it became synonymous with mismanagement, overpromising, and technical failure. Looking back, the question isn’t whether Cyberpunk 2077 had a bad launch—it’s why it happened, and what went so wrong.

The Promise vs. The Reality

From the moment Cyberpunk 2077 was first revealed in 2012, expectations were sky-high. CD Projekt Red, fresh off the success of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, positioned themselves as developers who delivered quality, narrative depth, and polish. Marketing materials showed NPCs reacting dynamically to player choices, seamless driving-to-foot transitions, deep dialogue trees, and a living Night City teeming with detail. Trailers demonstrated interactions that looked years ahead of their time.

But when the game shipped in December 2020, none of those features worked reliably—particularly on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Players encountered cars floating mid-air, non-playable characters (NPCs) clipping through walls or spawning inside objects, quests breaking due to missing triggers, AI pathfinding failures, and frequent crashes. In some cases, the game would freeze during cutscenes or fail to save progress altogether.

“We strive for perfection, but sometimes ambition outpaces execution.” — Marcin Iwiński, Co-founder of CD Projekt Red

This gap between marketing and reality wasn't just disappointing—it felt deceptive. Gamers weren’t upset because the game was imperfect; they were furious because it was fundamentally unplayable on platforms where millions expected to play it.

Technical Debt and Development Challenges

Behind the scenes, Cyberpunk 2077 suffered from years of accumulated technical debt. The studio built the game using an internal engine, REDengine 4, which was not originally designed for large-scale open worlds. Unlike engines like Unreal Engine 5 or even Rockstar’s RAGE, REDengine struggled with streaming vast urban environments, dynamic lighting, and complex NPC behaviors—all core features promised in Night City.

To make matters worse, CD Projekt Red opted for a monolithic development structure, where updates and features were tightly coupled. This made bug fixes and optimizations slow and risky. A change in one system could destabilize others, leading to regression bugs that reappeared after being fixed.

Crunch culture also played a significant role. Numerous former employees reported working 50- to 80-hour weeks for months leading up to launch. In a 2020 Game Developer article, anonymous developers described “crisis mode” development, where fixing critical bugs took priority over long-term stability. Features were added late into development, including entire questlines and systems, increasing instability.

Tip: When evaluating a game’s readiness, prioritize stable builds over feature completeness—especially under tight deadlines.

A Launch Timeline Gone Wrong

The timeline leading up to launch reveals a pattern of delays and mounting pressure:

1. 2012: Initial announcement with early concept art.
2. 2018: First full gameplay reveal at E3, showing advanced AI and environmental interaction.
3. 2019: Announced delay from 2020 Q1 to April 2020.
4. September 2020: Delayed again to November 2020.
5. November 2020: Delayed once more to December 10, 2020.
6. December 2020: Game launches—immediately plagued by bugs.
7. December 17, 2020: Sony removes the game from PlayStation Store—a first in its history.

Each delay was meant to improve quality, yet the final version shipped still contained thousands of known bugs. Internal testing reportedly focused heavily on high-end PCs, with console versions receiving less attention until late in development. By then, it was too late to refactor core systems.

Platform Disparity and Broken Trust

One of the most damaging aspects of the launch was the stark difference in performance across platforms. While high-end gaming PCs could run Cyberpunk 2077 acceptably (though still buggy), the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions were nearly unplayable. Frame rates dropped below 10 FPS in dense city areas, textures failed to load, and audio would cut out unexpectedly.

Worse, the next-gen versions (PS5 and Xbox Series X/S), released a year later in December 2021, ran significantly better—suggesting the game was optimized too late. This created the impression that CD Projekt Red had knowingly released a subpar product on older hardware, banking on future upgrades to fix the damage.

Platform	Performance Issues	User Score (Metacritic)
PlayStation 4	Frequent crashes, low FPS, texture pop-in, broken quests	3.5/10
Xbox One	Similar to PS4; unstable frame rate and rendering glitches	3.8/10
PC (High-End)	Playable with patches; fewer crashes but persistent bugs	7.1/10
PS5 / Xbox Series X	Stable 30–60 FPS; vastly improved visuals and loading	8.2/10

The backlash was immediate. Sony issued refunds and pulled the game from its digital storefront—an unprecedented move. Shareholders filed lawsuits alleging misleading statements about the game’s readiness. CD Projekt Red’s stock plummeted by over 40% within weeks.

Expert Analysis: What Could Have Been Done Differently?

Industry veterans have since dissected the Cyberpunk 2077 disaster as a cautionary tale in game development ethics and project management.

“Releasing a game in a broken state isn’t just a technical failure—it’s a breach of trust with your audience.” — Amy Hennig, Former Creative Director at Naughty Dog

Experts point to several key failures:

• Overreliance on pre-rendered footage: Marketing used scripted sequences that didn’t reflect real gameplay, setting unrealistic expectations.
• Poor platform prioritization: Console optimization lagged behind PC, despite consoles having larger user bases.
• Lack of transparency: The studio downplayed issues in interviews, insisting the game was “ready” months before launch.
• Feature creep: Late additions like vehicle combat and expanded romance options strained already fragile systems.

Some analysts argue that CD Projekt Red fell victim to its own success. After The Witcher 3 received universal acclaim, the team may have felt pressured to deliver something even bigger—regardless of feasibility.

Case Study: A Player’s Experience on Launch Day

Mark T., a lifelong PlayStation owner, pre-ordered Cyberpunk 2077 six months in advance. Excited to explore Night City, he downloaded the game on release day. Within minutes, his character V drove into a wall that wasn’t there—falling into a void. Restarting the mission, he encountered a quest-giver who had spawned underground. After three attempts, the game crashed entirely.

He tried adjusting settings, reinstalling, and checking for updates—but nothing helped. Over the next week, he experienced audio dropouts during emotional story moments, NPCs walking through buildings, and a main quest that failed to trigger after a key decision. Frustrated, he requested a refund from Sony. “I didn’t want my money back,” he said. “I wanted to play the game I’d been waiting for.”

His experience was repeated by hundreds of thousands. The human cost of the launch wasn’t just financial—it was emotional. Fans felt betrayed by a studio they admired.

Recovery and Redemption: The Road to Fixes

In the aftermath, CD Projekt Red committed to fixing the game. They halted work on DLC temporarily and shifted focus to stabilization. Over the next two years, they released dozens of patches, culminating in major updates like 1.5 and 1.6, which dramatically improved performance and reduced bugs.

In February 2022, they released Cyberpunk 2077: Edgerunners Edition alongside the Netflix anime tie-in, offering free access to all players. This version included ray tracing, faster loading, and redesigned mechanics. By 2023, the game had regained positive reviews on modern platforms and even won awards for its updated content.

However, the damage to reputation lingered. Trust, once broken, is hard to rebuild.

Checklist: Lessons from the Cyberpunk 2077 Launch Disaster

For developers, publishers, and fans alike, the Cyberpunk 2077 saga offers enduring lessons. Here’s what should be learned:

• ✅ Be honest about a game’s state—don’t oversell unreleased features.
• ✅ Prioritize cross-platform parity early in development.
• ✅ Avoid crunch by setting realistic milestones and timelines.
• ✅ Use real-time gameplay—not pre-rendered cinematics—in marketing.
• ✅ Invest in scalable engine architecture before building expansive worlds.
• ✅ Listen to QA testers and implement feedback before launch.
• ✅ Have a post-launch support plan ready before release day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Cyberpunk 2077 ever fixed?

Yes, after two years of continuous updates, Cyberpunk 2077 is now considered stable and enjoyable on PC and next-gen consoles (PS5, Xbox Series X/S). However, the PS4 and Xbox One versions remain problematic and are no longer supported.

Why were the console versions so much worse than PC?

The game was primarily developed and tested on high-end PCs. Console versions, especially on aging hardware, lacked sufficient optimization. Memory limitations, weaker GPUs, and slower storage made it difficult to stream Night City smoothly.

Did CD Projekt Red face legal consequences?

Yes. In 2021, CD Projekt settled a class-action lawsuit with shareholders for $1.7 million after allegations of misleading investors about the game’s readiness. No criminal charges were filed, but regulatory scrutiny increased.

Conclusion: A Cautionary Tale of Ambition and Accountability

Cyberpunk 2077’s disastrous launch was not the result of a single mistake, but a cascade of poor decisions—technical, managerial, and ethical. It serves as a stark reminder that no amount of hype can compensate for a broken product. Passionate development teams can create incredible worlds, but without discipline, transparency, and respect for the player, even the most visionary projects can collapse under their own weight.

Yet, the story isn’t entirely bleak. CD Projekt Red’s recovery efforts show that accountability and sustained effort can repair reputations. Today, Cyberpunk 2077 is finally becoming the game it was meant to be—just years later than promised.

🚀 What do you think defines a successful game launch? Share your thoughts on balancing innovation with stability—and whether redemption is possible after a failure like this.