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Cyberpunk 2077 has had a rough release, to say the least, with one of the most anticipated games of 2020 rapidly becoming one of the most disappointing.
Investors, unhappy with how the development and launch process was handled, have sued to reclaim some of their lost investment. This suit alleges that CD Projekt Red misled investors on Cyberpunk 2077, particularly its playability on current-gen consoles.
Investors and players caught up in the hype around Cyberpunk 2077
Lawsuits of this kind highlight the true dangers of deceiving audiences on the state of a game’s development. Cyberpunk 2077 could have been a smash hit (it arguably still is), even if it had only been moderately good.
Cyberpunk 2077 has been getting many good reviews. Some players are even saying it's great. Still, this greatness is blighted because of an endless assortment of bugs, performance issues, and other unfortunate clutter.
The lawsuit's main contention is that CD Projekt Red even misled its investors about the state of the game. It is being framed as a legal argument against CD Projekt Red’s development practices, but this is mostly an effort by the investors to recuperate their losses.
The difference between players and investors
During this whole debacle, the core difference between players and investors is that there is no legal framework for players who felt ripped off. The current refund system was not established by court order or any consumer protections.
It was an attempt by CD Projekt Red, Sony, and Microsoft to earn points with consumers.
Investors, on the other hand, often have access to complicated legal mechanisms to protect themselves. Interestingly, had Cyberpunk 2077 been a bad-but-playable game, investors would likely have no legal case. Investment is meant to be a risk, but an informed risk.
It's difficult to conclude that Cyberpunk 2077's marketing campaign was inherently misleading. It could be argued that this is the nature of video game marketing. These are the doubts that will require clarity in the case against CD Projekt Red.
