The launch of CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 was marred by a host of issues, most of which pertained to the video game's performance on last-gen consoles such as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. On top of massive backlash from consumers, the developer is now also facing legal issues.
Rosen Law Firm, a New York-based firm, has reportedly filed a lawsuit on behalf of investors, alleging violations of federal securities law. Lawyer stated that CD Projekt Red made false claims about the recently released video game. Specifically, the developer failed to make consumers aware that Cyberpunk 2077 was "virtually unplayable" on last-gen consoles. A class has not yet been certified.
The lawsuit cites conference calls, one of which took place in January. In it, CD Projekt Red president and joint CEO Adam Kiciński assured investors outright that there were no issues with the last-gen version of Cyberpunk 2077, claiming instead that only optimization was required. The amount CD Projekt Red would be required to pay for damages has not yet been revealed.
In addition to the class action, CD Projekt Red is currently facing several potential lawsuits over Cyberpunk 2077, from both the U.S. and Poland. The developer has released a number of statements, apologizing for the video game and promising last-gen console users that future patches would help improve the experience. A patch has since been released but evidently failed to address some of the game's central issues.
The issues have caused many consumers to request refunds from retailers. GameStop and the PlayStation Store have obliged, with the latter going so far as to remove the game entirely. CD Projekt Red has previously suggested that it aims to tend to the issues and have the game return to the PlayStation Store. In spite of the current situation, the Polish developer has reported that Cyberpunk 2077 has sold more than 13 million copies worldwide, not including refunded games.
Kiciński previously admitted that the developer had neglected the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, stating, "After 3 delays, we as the Management Board were too focused on releasing the game... We underestimated the scale and complexity of the issues, we ignored the signals about the need for additional time to refine the game on the base last-gen consoles. It was the wrong approach and against our business philosophy. On top of that, during the campaign, we showed the game mostly on PCs."
Developed by CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk 2077 is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia and PC.
Source: Polygon