CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 has become a lightning rod for controversy following its third delay in ten months, but this one stands to really benefit players. November 2020 was on track to be a gigantic month for gaming. There was, and still is, a ton of new content coming out in a very short period of time. It's too much for many players to take in at once and it desperately needed to be spread out a little more.
It's totally normal for major titles to see delays, but this is a bit of a weird one. Cyberpunk 2077 went just gold three weeks ago and was seemingly on track for its November 19th release date. But after controversy surrounding crunch at the company and promises that there would not be another delay as recently as Monday, CD Projekt Red announced Tuesday afternoon that the game was being pushed back three weeks to December 10th.
The most recent delay for Cyberpunk 2077 has given the month of November the breathing room that it needed. Next month, both the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 are releasing within three days of each other and a slew of major titles is scheduled to drop within a fairly tight window. Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Demon's Souls, Godfall, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity are all scheduled to release within a span of ten days. That list of major new releases does not include upgraded games like Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition, Watch Dogs: Legion and Spider-Man: Remastered, which are all releasing on day one as well. It's going to be a chaotic stretch for the industry without even factoring in what may very well be the most anticipated title of the year.
Players Need Time to Explore the Next Generation
For players who like to play a wide variety of games, it's just too much at one time. With Cyberpunk 2077 moving out of the next-gen release window, it gives the industry a little breathing room. The pressure to play a massively hyped game is pushed back a little bit, and it allows for players to really explore what the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S is bringing to the table. Players can explore their new consoles, and there's a full month's worth of time to play some of the new games without feeling the pressure to immediately play what many consider to be the biggest release of the year. And, on top of it all, this delay will likely result in a more polished version of Cyberpunk 2077 when it does finally release.
For players who are really excited to play Cyberpunk 2077, it sucks to see it get delayed again. The game was first announced eight years ago, went borderline unheard from for six years, and CD Projekt Red hasn't exactly stuck to their word throughout the last year or so leading up to release. It's frustrating and the studio has been mired in controversy as a result of it. But now the launch of the next generation no longer feels like it's being crammed into a two week window, and that's good for everyone.