When CD Projekt Red released Cyberpunk 2077 two years ago, it was marketed as a single-player experience. In modern gaming, it can be difficult for companies to make AAA titles with no online component. Online gameplay allows for extra monetization through various purchases and can significantly extend the amount of time a game stays relevant. As such, it was no surprise that CDPR promised a multiplayer mode that would be available sometime after launch. Much of the time, these modes are tacked on and do not leave much of a lasting impression on the audience. With this in mind, it is good news that Cyberpunk will not be getting multiplayer content.
In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Senior Quest Designer for Cyberpunk 2077, Philipp Weber, explained that the team needed to focus on making the single-player experience as good as possible. Due to a rocky release filled with bugs and other performance issues, ideas like multiplayer needed to be reevaluated. With this more focused approach, the past two years have seen Cyberpunk receive fixes, improvements, and several add-ons to the game. Cyberpunk in its current state is a much smoother experience than the original release, and it is unlikely this would be the case if the developers had been trying to create a multiplayer mode as well.
Multiplayer Would Not Work for Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is a jack of all trades. As an open-world RPG, Cyberpunk has a deep story, first-person shooter combat, driving, and other activities that all come together to create a unique experience. The game spreads itself so wide that none of these elements, even when combined, are good enough to carry multiplayer.
While the game's shooting is decent, but not near the quality of great FPS titles, and the driving is standard fare. Most multiplayer ideas would be attached to these mechanics, and the individual pieces would not stand out among the plethora of options already on the market. Instead of wasting resources on a project that would have a huge uphill battle to success, the team was right to focus on the core game and upcoming expansion Phantom Liberty.
Multiplayer Should Be Designed for Future Cyberpunk Games
There is nothing inherently wrong with the idea of an online mode in the Cyberpunk franchise, but it needs to be crafted from the ground up. The Cyberpunk universe lends itself to many different multiplayer concepts that can blend shooting, hacking, driving, and whatever else the developers can dream up. CD Projekt Red is working on several releases over the next few years, and one of those games is set to be in the Cyberpunk universe. They have not released any other details, but it would be better to craft a multiplayer experience alongside that game instead of trying to shoehorn one into a game that has already had more than its fair share of problems.
Online play can be a great addition to many games, but Cyberpunk 2077 is better off without it. Understandably, companies want to reap the financial gains multiplayer can provide, but including this mode in Cyberpunk would have been an error. The game was made and advertised as a single-player experience and the team at CD Projekt Red is right to remain focused on that. After learning from the development cycle and problematic launch of Cyberpunk 2077, the developers have a much higher chance of successfully implementing online options in future titles than trying to make one work now.