CD Projekt now finds itself facing a second class-action lawsuit filed by investors, and - similar to the first - the latest suit accuses the firm of misleading investors about the state of Cyberpunk 2077 leading up to launch. Rosen Law Firm filed the first class-action lawsuit against CD Projekt on behalf of investors back in late December, representing a response to the poor state in which the open-world game launched, particularly on last-gen hardware.
Statements from management indicated Cyberpunk 2077 would at least provide a functional experience on PS4 and Xbox One consoles, and marketing materials like trailers and gameplay demos indicated the same. Because of this, investors are convinced the company purposefully misled them and the public in an attempt to maximize early profits. While the game has certainly sold well, controversy over its poor quality saw it removed from the PlayStation Store. CD Projekt's stocks also took a hit as a result. Investors consequently sit on the receiving end of the damage. Regardless, CD Projekt plans to vigorously defend itself against the allegations put forth in the lawsuit.
On its investor website, CD Projekt announced that it's received notice of another civil class-action lawsuit filed in the United States. The note further specifies that claims in the second suit mirror those from the first, wherein investors accused CD Projekt of making false and misleading statements about the quality of Cyberpunk 2077 on last-gen platforms. While the complaint makes no mention of any damages sought, CD Projekt has once more made clear its plans to "undertake vigorous action to defend itself against any such claims."
The second lawsuit was filed in the days following developer CD Projekt Red's statement about what went wrong with Cyberpunk 2077. In a relatively lengthy video, studio co-founder Marcin Iwiński said the blame for the title's missteps fell squarely on management and not developers. However, the apology video fell flat in places, due to inconsistencies about the review embargo. To some, it also seemed as though Iwiński threw the QA team under the bus for supposedly not encountering any of the game-breaking issues that plagued last-gen builds of Cyberpunk 2077 at launch.
During last week's statement, Iwiński also announced an adjustment to the CD Projekt Red's post-release plans for the title. For one, the team has decided to delay Cyberpunk 2077's free DLC in an effort to focus on stabilizing the game itself. Moreover, the upgrades for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions are now slated to roll out on an unspecified date later in the year.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available now on PS4 (retail-only), Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia, and it will launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2021.
Source: CD Projekt