Cyberpunk 2077: Despite Harsh Criticism: Few Refunds?

Cyberpunk 2077 had to take harsh criticism for the release, especially on PS4 and Xbox One, and calls for a refund program were loud due to the condition of the game. This actually came, but was apparently only used to a very limited extent.

The almost disastrous launch of Cyberpunk 2077 made waves in the games industry and caused a lot of criticism of CD Projekt RED. As a result, the developer, together with shops, also enabled reimbursement options, so that disappointed gamers could also return their full version. In spite of everything, only a few players did that – or did they not?

This is initially suggested by a new report by CFO Piotr Nielubowicz, who has spoken to investors on the subject. Accordingly, Cyberpunk 2077 has now sold 13.7 million copies despite everything. According to the developer studio, this sales figure only accounts for around 30,000 refunds. When you consider how deeply the whole topic was cooked, that is a rather negligible number.

To a certain extent, the whole thing is only half the story, because CD Projekt only mentions the reversals that you have handled yourself. Reimbursements could also be claimed from Sony and Microsoft, but the corresponding figures were apparently not included in the survey by CD Projekt RED. Sony even went one step further and even completely removed Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store; PS4 players are still waiting for a return there – although updates have now fixed innumerable bugs and improved performance.

The “Help Me Refund” program for disappointed customers has cost CD Projekt around $ 2.17 million so far, according to the financial report. 95 percent of the reimbursements have already been processed, the remaining five percent require more time due to other complications in processing. After all, you have to work around the globe in this regard and therefore also deal with different banking systems, it continues. Overall, it is therefore by no means an easy task.

In the annual report, however, there is a note later that the costs, including the company’s own “Help Me Refund” program, will amount to 51.2 million dollars. “Commissions for returns and expected adjustments based on license reports in connection with the sale of Cyberpunk 2077 in the release time window in the 4th quarter of 2020” would also be covered here – so probably also (in case of doubt still to be expected) payments to Sony and Microsoft for those there Returns of the game in the respective stores. This value is more likely to represent the actual cost factor in the context of reimbursements.

Despite all prophecies of doom, 2020 was another good year for the developer; CD Projekt RED generated more than 560 million dollars in sales.