Table of Contents
Introduction
Cyberpunk 2077, a very famous game that people have been waiting for a long time. An open-world RPG game developed by CD Projekt Red, was released on 10 December. It took about 7 years to make this game, which is often said. But the time it took to make it and the challenges it faced tell a complex story – one that involved ambition, technical problems, and external pressures.
This blog explains why it took seven years to make Cyberpunk 2077, and how the complexities of its production, the massive scope of the project, and the challenges faced during development shaped the journey.
The Announcement and Early Development (2012–2016)
Cyberpunk 2077 was first announced at CD Projekt Red’s summer conference in 2012. A cinematic trailer was also launched at the announcement, but it was just a conceptual video – its real purpose was to attract talent and investors, not to show development.
Actual full-scale development began in 2016, when The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and its expansion Blood and Wine were completed. At that time, CD Projekt Red’s main focus was still on The Witcher 3, and only a small team (approximately 50 people) was working on Cyberpunk 2077.
This means that even though the game’s development was announced in 2012, its actual development began four years later – effectively compressing its core development timeline.
Ambitious Scope and Engine Overhaul
A big reason why Cyberpunk 2077‘s development took so long was its ambitious scope. The game’s goal was to deliver an immersive open-world experience, set in a dystopian metropolis called Night City – where every little detail was meticulously designed.
This time the game was made in a first person perspective, which is very different from the third person view of the Witcher series. For this reason CD Projekt Red had to overhaul its entire REDengine. Initially REDengine 3 was being developed, but then there was a transition to REDengine 4 – whose development was supported by a $7 million grant from the Polish government.
This engine upgrade involved redesigning everything from the ground up, including particle effects, lightning, real-time ray tracing, to create a realistic world. The problem was that the game and the engine were being developed simultaneously – which the devs described as “like a train running while the tracks are still being built.” It’s clear how many technical challenges there were.
Expanding Team and New Studio
As development progressed, CD Projekt Red expanded its team significantly. By 2018, the studio opened a faculty in Wrocław, Poland to further strengthen Cyberpunk 2077‘s production. Team sizes have grown to over 500.
This expansion was important, as the game’s scale was massive – with intricate quest designs inspired by Akira and Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, and a detailed city environment that reflected the futuristic visuals of Blade Runner.
But managing such a large team across multiple locations became daunting. Coordination and communication further delayed development – which further lengthened the timeline.
Marketing and Public Expectations
CD Projekt Red’s marketing strategy also played a big role in making Cyberpunk 2077‘s development seem longer. The 2012 announcement kept the hype building for years, and then the 2018 E3 demo (which later turned out to be “almost completely fake”) and the arrival of Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand in 2019 took the hype to the next level.
But the problem was that marketing started before development, which made people think the game was already advanced – when in reality the game had just started.
The studio often focused too much on marketing while development was still taking time. On top of that, strict review embargoes limited console footage before release, creating a disconnect between fans and critics.
All of this became the reason for the rocky launch of the game.
Technical and Logistical Challenges
Cyberpunk 2077‘s development faced a lot of technical problems — especially with the console versions. The game was designed for original consoles and high-end gaming PCs, but CD Projekt Red underestimated the challenges of optimizing it for old-gen consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One.
The result was that at the time of launch, the consoles were plagued with bugs and performance issues. This was so serious that Sony removed the game from the PlayStation Store.
On top of that, the Covid-19 pandemic further disrupted development — remote work led to poor coordination between PAC and console teams.
And according to reports, the developers also had to face the pressure of intense crunch and unrealistic deadlines, which directly impacted the quality of the game.
Therefore, many post-release fixes had to be provided even after the launch.
Post-Launch Redemption and Continued Development
No matter how difficult the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 was, CD Projekt Red continued to improve the continuity game despite it. Major updates like Patch 2.0 and the Phantom Liberty expansion (2023) made the game much better, and drastically improved the player experience.
This ongoing work has extended the game’s total development timeline until 2024, when the studio officially closes major updates. This clearly shows how much effort CD Projekt Red put into improving the game, but initially the scale and complexity of the project was greatly underestimated
Why Seven Years?
Those who say that the development of Cyberpunk 2077 took 7 years are a bit misleading, because the actual full development took place only between 4 years (2016–2020).Early announcement, engine overhaul, ambitious game scope, team expansion, and external pressures such as the pandemic and marketing demands have artificially extended this timeline.
Yes, the launch of the game was full of problems, but the subsequent updates and expansions that came in the game completely changed the game. The entire journey shows how tough and risky it is to build a groundbreaking platform, especially in a fast-changing gaming industry.
FAQs
1. When was Cyberpunk 2077 first announced?
Cyberpunk 2077 was announced in 2012 at CD Projekt Red’s Summer Conference, but full development didn’t begin until 2016.
2. Why did Cyberpunk 2077 face so many bugs at launch?
The game’s ambitious scope, simultaneous engine development, and inadequate optimization for last-gen consoles led to numerous bugs, particularly on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
3. How did the Polish government contribute to Cyberpunk 2077’s development?
The Polish government provided a $7 million grant to support the development of REDengine 4, which was used to enhance the game’s technical features.
4. Why was the 2018 E3 demo controversial?
The 2018 E3 demo was described as “almost entirely fake,” as it showcased features that weren’t fully implemented, misleading expectations about the game’s readiness.
5. How has Cyberpunk 2077 improved since launch?
Post-launch updates, including Patch 2.0 and the Phantom Liberty expansion in 2023, addressed bugs, improved performance, and added features, earning critical acclaim.
6. Is CD Projekt Red working on a sequel?
Yes, a sequel codenamed Project Orion is in early development at CD Projekt Red’s North America studio, with key veterans from the original game involved.
Conclusion
Cyberpunk 2077‘s seven-year development was a mix of ambitious goals, technical challenges, and external pressures. When the game launched, it was quite disastrous – full of bugs, glitches, and criticism. But CD Projekt Red did not give up, and made continuous improvements to turn it into a critically acclaimed title.
The journey clearly demonstrates how complex modern game development is — where innovation is always accompanied by major hurdles.
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