Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the most anticipated games in recent memory, but its launch was a major disappointment for many eager fan. There’s a lot of contention about how much Cyberpunk did or didn’t live up to the hype, but player experience also varies wildly depending on what platform it is played on, with consoles receiving the brunt of the issues at launch. However, CD Projekt Red’s history with previous games indicates that there is a lot more to come in 2021 that may make good on fans’ initial trust in it.
There has already been a wave of hot fixes and patches to quickly iron out bugs in Cyberpunk 2077. When looking at the release and update schedules for the studio’s previous games, though, there is a clear pattern that emerges. The Witcher received 4 major bug-fix patches within its first year after release, The Witcher 2 got the same treatment, and The Witcher 3 received nearly 20 patches in its first year, with even more for consoles. All three games also got special editions, DLCs, expansions, and quality of life improvements along with plenty of bug fixes. Cyberpunk 2077 is almost certain to get the same treatment, and may even receive major story expansions later on in the year.
While CD Project Red made it clear that it plans to add free content and DLC in the future, what most fans should expect to come out first are major performance improvements, bug fixes, and stability patches for all platforms. It’s not unlikely that content expansions will be delayed so that the dev can focus on fixes, especially since most fans are demanding improvements to basic performance. That’s a good thing, since even when giving CD Project Red the benefit of the doubt, the current state of the game is largely considered unacceptable.
Cyberpunk looks beautiful on high-end graphics cards and top-notch PC hardware, but that’s not worth much when most people do not have access to that kind of equipment, and even on the best systems it is full of bugs and poor optimization. While there may be only so much that can be done to fix these sorts of structural programming issues, the developer has announced two major patches in January and February of 2021. It also stated explicitly: “Expect more, as we will update frequently whenever new improvements are ready.”
The developer also stated that “They won’t make the game on last-gen look like it’s running on a high-spec PC or next-gen console, but it will be closer to that experience than it is now.” Unfortunately “better than it is now” isn’t saying much. It may just be that Cyberpunk 2077 was not built to work on last gen-consoles, which would be a shame. Still, the smart money may be in waiting to play the game on newer consoles after it receives the fixes it so urgently needs, and updating to the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions when those are available.
What’s in store for these fixes isn’t entirely known, but the community has no shortage of bugs and issues that they would like to see ironed out. In the first couple of patches, players should expect to see stability improvements and patches that take care of major, common, game-breaking bugs. Smaller issues may be harder to pin down and could persist long into the game’s life cycle. Fewer crashes, breaks, and other major issues are to be expected, but performance improvements that lead to better stability and higher frame rates are also likely in the works, if probably at a slightly lower priority.
CD Projekt Red also hinted at multiple free Cyberpunk DLCs starting in “Early 2021,” but it was wise to keep the time frame ambiguous because of the cleaning up it has to do. This free DLC will likely mirror previous free content updates for games like The Witcher 3, with new game modes, side quests, outfits, and quality of life improvements all on the table. How early exactly they will come out is still in question, but the studio may be able to gain back some good will from players if they can release both extensive patches and new free content within the first three or four months of the year.
It’s reasonable to expect, though, that expansions and content may be pushed back to later. Most fans would likely prefer bug fixes and better performance, and that’s what CD Projekt Red should prioritize. If that’s the case, content expected for early 2021 should more realistically be anticipated to come out midway through the year or later. The nature of the content itself is still largely unknown, but based on the support The Witcher 3 received, it’s easy to speculate that it will include the sorts of small goodies and bonus features that kept fans sated until larger, story-driven DLCs dropped.
For The Witcher 3, the Hearts of Stone expansion released about five months after the base game’s launch, and Blood and Wine launched almost exactly a year after release. If CD Projekt Red plans to keep up the same pace with Cyberpunk 2077, players will be in for at least one major story expansion to Cyberpunk in 2021. The major story expansions are what fans should be looking forward to most, as by that time the game should be in a much more stable state. It’s also important to consider that story-driven content is CD Projekt Red’s strong suit, and the expansions for The Witcher 3 are lauded as some of the best DLCs for any RPG.
The prospect of large scale story-driven expansions for Cyberpunk is exciting for several reasons. CD Projekt Red’s expansions for The Witcher 3 were masterclasses in worldbuilding, exploring completely new facets of the game’s setting and tying, in character narratives perfectly. As much as Cyberpunk 2077 has its flaws, its worldbuilding and characters are phenomenal, and deserve to be explored further. That kind of character-driven storytelling can safely be left in CD Projekt Red’s hands, and the Cyberpunk setting is ripe for areas to expand on. Expansions could explore areas beyond Night City, tell in-depth stories about the Nomads on the outskirts of the cities, or delve even deeper into the gritty underbelly of Night City.
More likely than not, Cyberpunk‘s story expansions will go in directions unforeseen by even the most dedicated speculators, so hopefully the game is in a more playable state by the time expansions release. There have also been murmurings about a multiplayer component to Cyberpunk, but CEO Adam Kacinski clarified that multiplayer will essentially be a separate product, and won’t be even near ready before the close of 2021. After all, it’s “on hold” while the base game takes priority.
Fans who are okay with the current state of Cyberpunk 2077 should look to later in the year for free DLCs and major content expansions, while those who are just looking to be able to play the game with a stable framerate on their system of choice are in for a raft of improvements, patches, and fixes in the next few months. This will be a pivotal time for Cyberpunk and its playerbase, but because of CD Projekt Red’s reputation for ongoing support and consistent patching with previous games, it’s reasonable to be cautiously optimistic about what’s to come for the future of Cyberpunk 2077.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions in development.
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