Updating shareholders in its latest H1 2021 results call (transcribed by VGC), the company’s SVP of business development Michał Nowakowski pointed to “lessons we have learned” in the past year as one reason the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions could yet miss their target.
CD Projekt has spent much of 2021 patching Cyberpunk 2077, following its troubled launch which saw it pulled from the PlayStation Store due to its buggy state, which is widely perceived to have been caused by a rushed release.
Nowakowski appeared to suggest on Wednesday that CD Projekt was taking this into consideration when planning the release schedule for the new-gen game.
“The target is to release the next-gen version of Cyberpunk 2077 late this year,” he said. “At the same time, keeping in mind the lessons we have learned during the past year and taking into account that this project still remains in development, we can’t say with full certainty that the production schedule will not change.”
The exec then pointed to The Witcher 3’s own new-gen console port, which is also due out later this year, and said the company couldn’t make guarantees about that either.
“With The Witcher 3, the situation is slightly different in the way that this is being tackled by the external team mainly, which is Saber Interactive, the company that we have worked with before on Switch and also with updates in the past.
“As with Cyberpunk 2077, our goal is to release that game still in late 2021. However, similarly, the development process is ongoing, and we cannot be absolutely dead certain that the release schedule will not change.
“But for the time being, we definitely are aiming with both titles for late 2021 and I don’t want to be more specific at this moment in time.”
CD Projekt confirmed on Thursday that just over a third of the company is working on Cyberpunk 2077’s new-gen version, as well as support for the original game. The remaining development staff are building the game’s first expansion, Gwent and other unannounced projects.
“The next-gen version is an important step on our adventure in the Cyberpunk universe,” said joint CEO Adam Kiciński. “We strongly believe in the long term potential of this IP. That’s why we’re currently working on the first expansion for the game, although I cannot say anything for more about it at this point in time.”
In June CD Projekt said it believed Cyberpunk 2077‘s performance had reached a “satisfying” level, following six months of patches designed to improve the game from its much-criticised launch state.
Cyberpunk’s post-launch plans were significantly altered following its troubled release, but the game finally received its first piece of DLC last month alongside its biggest patch yet.
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Source: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/cyberpunks-developer-cant-guarantee-next-gen-versions-will-make-it-out-this-year/
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