Yet another stark reminder has been provided that Cyberpunk 2077 remains in active development for only current-generation platforms.
Speaking with OnMSFT in a recent interview, John Mamais, head of CD Projekt Red in Kraków, was asked about any possible improvements that Cyberpunk 2077 could see when running on Xbox Series X. Mamais stated that while many triple-a developers are already tinkering with next-generation development kits, suggesting that CD Projekt has received one as well from Microsoft, Cyberpunk 2077 is not looking into the new machines right now.
Most AAA developers have that stuff [Xbox Series X dev tools] but we’re not focusing on that yet. We’re focusing on current gen.
Cyberpunk 2077 was recently delayed from a previous April 16 release date to September 17, 2020. That puts the game closer to the next-generation consoles, which are tagged to launch in the holiday season. There has always been a presumption that CD Projekt Red will eventually look to re-release the game on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. CD Projekt Red has maintained its stance on the matter that any such plans will be considered after Cyberpunk 2077 has released for current-generation platforms. Mamais’ latest statement hammers that nail once again, to the point that the developer isn’t even investing any resources for the chore. All focus remains on current-generation platforms.
Within the same interview, Mamais was asked about any plans to release the game on Switch as well. He noted that in his opinion, Cyberpunk 2077 would be “too heavy” to run on the hybrid Nintendo console. However, that would be true for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt as well and CD Projekt Red managed to get it running on Switch in the end. Hence, as Mamais said, the Polish studio may pull it off down the road.
Cyberpunk 2077 is currently at a stage where the game is complete and playable from start to finish. However, more work needs to be done. Hence, why CD Projekt Red decided to delay the release. The delay has also forced other projects to be pushed back as well. These include the multiplayer component of the game, which was previously slated to arrive roughly a year after the release of Cyberpunk 2077 but will now land somewhere next year. Any chance of the game releasing with multiplayer on the first day has been thrown out. Whatever elements that CD Projekt Red will be working on in the coming months will have little to do with online support.
