Fans are very excited about Cyberpunk 2077, which launches in less than a month. After such a long development, it’s only fair that they want the game to be the best it can possibly be, but some fans are worried about developers cutting content from the final game.
It’s safe to say that this is only an issue because the development has been uncommonly open, and fans have seen glimpses of the game for years. A demo of Cyberpunk was shown back in 2018, when it was two years away from being finished – so there have, understandably, been a lot of changes since then. The game isn’t even out yet, but rumours of cut content are circulating, and comparisons to CD Projekt Red’s last game The Witcher 3 are already rife.
While The Witcher series is widely understood to include some of the best RPGs ever made, it’s undeniable that its latest instalment is incredibly long and fans of the studio want the trend to continue in Cyberpunk. The developers spoke out on the Cyberpunk Discord server, in an attempt to reassure fans that cutting content is a normal process in game development and that they have nothing to worry about.
Developer Miles ‘MilezZx’ Tost’s statement explains that, while CDPR could never force everyone to like the game, fans shouldn’t be worried.
“Cutting features and scope is a very normal part of development” he says. “You can witness it so openly with our game, because we happily gave in to community wishes and showed you that 2018 demo. Think about it. The game – two years from release.
“Of course we iterate and change stuff and of course we also will have ideas that sound great on paper but then doesn’t end up working out well in the game with all the other features. [In the] Witcher 3 we also cut a ton of stuff, but in the end all of it made the game better.”
Because fans hadn’t seen as much of The Witcher 3 throughout its development, they were unaware of the cuts – they hadn’t seen as many early builds or unfinished demos as we’ve been treated to with Cyberpunk 2077. At the end of the day, every game has content that didn’t make it, for a myriad of reasons, and Tost is confident that the game will be better for it.
“In the end, it is all about how much fun the game and its systems provide you and we are doing our best to make sure it is as great of an experience as it can be,” he continues. “Sometimes for that, you have to make some hard decisions and this time around, you were here to witness it.”
As for fans worried that CDPR isn’t releasing any playtime estimates, Tost explains that it’s purely because the developer has a notoriously poor history of accurate estimations. Tost remembers that CDPR “estimated players would max out The Witcher 3 at 100 hours,” which is probably 72 hours shy of an accurate estimate.
However, Tost says that fans should judge the game when they’ve played it, and also urges them to read reviews to see if it will be something they’d enjoy.
“If you’re unsure, please wait for reviews, check whoever you trust after it launches, and get their input. Not every game is for everyone, we don’t have the power to change that. No one is forcing you to buy the game day one and no one at CDPR wants you to be disappointed with a game you might not enjoy.”
Despite some fans’ misgivings, Cyberpunk 2077 has already gone gold, and players are excited to get to grips with the gangs, buy some wheels from Keanu Reeves’ motorcycle company, and test out the better quality lip-syncing. If you’re worried that your PC won’t be able to play it though, things are looking good, as Cyberpunk 2077’s system requirements are quite reasonable! Can you run it? Check your setup against the Cyberpunk 2077 specs.
