CD Projekt Red Is Being Sued Over Cyberpunk 2077
Uh oh, it looks like things are going from bad to worse for CD Projekt Red in the midst of the ongoing Cyberpunk 2077 scandal. The long-awaited sci-fi shooter has been the talk of the town since it was announced way back in 2012. Whether it's the hype of the game coming from the studio behind The Witcher series, the ambitious Blade Runner-inspired backdrop, or the inclusion of Keanu Reeves, Cyberpunk 2077 has arguably been a victim of its own intended success.
With glitches running rife and refunds being issued across the board, the developer now finds itself in the middle of a potentially devastating lawsuit as CD Projekt Red is being sued over Cyberpunk 2077 for giving investors "misleading" facts about the first-person juggernaut. There were whispers that angry investors could sue, but now, it sounds like the next step has been taken. All this, and just when you thought penises glitching through clothing was the biggest scandal to hit the game.
Why is CD Projekt Red being sued over Cyberpunk 2077?
According to Business Wire, New York-based Rosen Law Firm has just filed a lawsuit “on behalf of persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired publicly traded CD Projekt Red securities between January 16, 2020, and December 17, 2020". The suit claims that CD Projekt Red knowingly hid the fact that Cyberpunk 2077 was “virtually unplayable on the current-generation Xbox or PlayStation systems due to an enormous number of bugs”. The developer has tried to fix that with several massive hotfixes, but in its current form, the complaints are still piling.
The crux of the suit is that the company knowingly hid the deluge of problems from investors. Of course, these are pretty hefty allegations to level. CD Projekt Red won't take it lying down though. Bloomberg has said the developer will "vigorously" defend itself against these allegations. The filing points out how CD's depositary receipts (stock shares) dropped by 25% in the first three days after Cyberpunk 2077 was released. There was another 16% drop when Sony made the move to pull the game from the PlayStation Store.
CD Projekt Red being sued over Cyberpunk 2077: What happens next?
It remains to be seen if the case will be successful. Critics have pointed to allegations that CD Projekt Red only sent out PC copies to review and knew the console versions weren't ready to go. However, it's important to point out there is currently no factual proof of the above. The lead plaintiff is Andrew Trampe, but the press release confirmed the case is looking for other investors to join the cause.
While the list of bugs grows, CD Projekt Red is at least trying to limit the damage. There have so far been three patches released in an attempt to tackle some of the many gripes. The most recent was on December 23, with devs promising at least two more in January and February. It still seems there's a mountain to climb before we get anywhere near the proposed next-gen upgrade for Xbox Series and PlayStation 5 in 2021.
Even if the Cyberpunk 2077 scandal continues, there's no denying the success of the game. In a case of "no publicity is bad publicity", it has already shifted well over 13 million copies. We'll have to keep our eyes on what happens next in the battle of the pixels.
Stay up to date with all the latest esports and gaming news by checking out our social channels here: Twitter | Facebook | Discord
Images via CD Projekt Red
