Cyberpunk 2077 launched when it did because its devs wanted it “out the door” says CD Projekt Red CEO, but I wonder if he forgot about that reported mandatory crunch
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CD Projekt Red joint CEO Michał Nowakowski has reiterated that Cyberpunk 2077's troubled 2020 launch was driven by exhaustion within the development team rather than pressure from investors, while also conceding outright that the decision to release when it did was "wrong". Speaking to The Game Business, he said the mid-pandemic conditions created a distinct kind of tension, with both fans and staff wanting the game finished, though he rejected the idea that "magical investors" forced the launch date. The remarks matter because they shape how the studio frames one of gaming's most notorious launches as it approaches the release of The Witcher 4.
Nowakowski described the situation as "much more complicated and psychological" than a simple investor mandate, attributing the rushed release instead to team fatigue compounded by COVID-19. However, commentary accompanying the interview notes this account sits awkwardly alongside reports that CD Projekt Red imposed mandatory crunch in the months before launch, a reversal of the studio's earlier anti-crunch stance, suggesting individual developers' wishes may not have aligned with what they were required to do. The Witcher 4 is currently targeting a 2028 release.
- CEO says team fatigue, not investors, drove Cyberpunk 2077's rushed 2020 launch
- He admits the launch timing was "for sure wrong"
- Comments contrast with reports of mandatory crunch before release
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Cyberpunk 2077 was CD Projekt Red's big open-world follow-up to The Witcher 3, and its 2020 launch became one of the most notorious in gaming history: the game shipped in a badly unfinished state, especially on older consoles, prompting refunds, lawsuits and lasting reputational damage to the Polish studio. Michał Nowakowski is one of the company's joint chief executives, and how he explains that launch matters because it shapes how much responsibility the studio publicly takes for what went wrong.
A recurring question ever since has been who pushed for the game to come out when it did, given widespread reports at the time that staff were made to work mandatory long hours, known as crunch, in the final months before release, despite the company having previously said it did not believe in forcing crunch on employees. The launch also happened in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected how the studio operated and how its staff were coping.
This debate is resurfacing now because CD Projekt Red is preparing The Witcher 4, a major new game due around 2028, and the studio is keen to show it has learnt lessons from the Cyberpunk 2077 launch and will not repeat the same mistakes.
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