Despite all the controversy that Cyberpunk 2077 has, more will be upcoming as the game is making a move that will likely seem good to some and bad to others. Fans should be excited today with a new patch and the announcement of the first significant DLC coming in 2023, but some may also be angered over the decision to leave last-gen consoles behind, as it will forever impact how they're able to play the game.
Cyberpunk 2077 launched to a myriad of backlash and controversies. It was plagued with bugs, nearly unplayable on older generation consoles, and somewhat lacking outside the main story. All this, along with free DLC updates that didn't feel like they made up for the deficiencies, gave Cyberpunk 2077 a rough first year. Currently, Cyberpunk 2077 is in a much better state and seems to be rebounding somewhat, as the game is fun and worth a play, and is looking a lot better after numerous rounds of bug fixes and upgrades.
Today, much news was released to the public about the future of Cyberpunk 2077, summed up on this Twitter thread by Nibel. Along with the 1.6 patch notes came the announcement of the Shadow Liberty DLC coming in 2023. However, this DLC and all future patches will only be added to PC and current generation consoles, meaning that Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will no longer be supported. Despite the fact that this will necessarily leave many fans behind as the game's development continues, this decision may prove to be the best option Cyberpunk 2077 had, as the limitations of the old generation, made evident by a beautiful Cyberpunk 2077 Unreal Engine 5 remake, hamper the development.
Cyberpunk 2077 Leaving Last Gen Behind Is Good For The Game
Cyberpunk 2077 leaving old generation players behind is without a doubt unfortunate, especially if that is the only platform they play on. Luckily for those with multiple platforms or planning to invest in a newer one, Cyberpunk 2077 added cross-progression with this latest patch. The decision to leave behind the old consoles hurts the game because once old gen players are done with it, that's it; they have nothing else to do unless they restart. Also, Cyberpunk 2077 cutting off that part of the fanbase hurts the sales power of future DLCs. Yet if CD Projekt Red doesn't have to worry about how bad-looking Cyberpunk 2077's PS4 and Xbox One versions are or try to keep them performing well, complete focus can go on making the current generation versions as impressive as possible. Complete overhauls of some systems have already been announced, and upcoming updates could be much smoother and more expansive, with fewer limitations to get in the way of increased graphical prowess and more urban architectural splendor.
Chances are, no matter what decision CD Projekt Red made about supporting the older generation, there could have been difficulties and potential backlash, but at the very least, this choice should help the game by allowing for better-looking and potentially more compelling content going forward. Phantom Liberty will be an excellent opportunity for Cyberpunk 2077 to get itself back on track with lapsed fans, as leaving the older generation behind should allow for a new and better direction - and a lot more potential for real, meaningful surprises in future content.
Source: Nibel/Twitter