When it debuted in 2020, CD Projekt RED's Cyberpunk 2077 was widely criticized by players for its many bugs and "seller shows". However, through relentless updates, the game has gradually gained the recognition of players. In 2023, with the release of the Shadows of the Past expansion, the game's reviews will gradually pick up and gain the trust of players again. The game team admits that early negative reviews played a key role in later success.
In an interview with TheGamer media, Cyberpunk 2077 Lead Quest Designer Paweł Sasko shared the reasons for the success of Shadows of the Past. He points out that the early setbacks of the game not only forced the team to completely change their development strategy, but also brought unexpected benefits to the development of the expansion.
Sasko stressed that the expansion Shadows of the Past would not have been able to excel if Cyberpunk 2077 hadn't received so much negative feedback at its initial release. These challenges have prompted deep reflection and change across the studio.
At present, CD Projekt Red has stopped the development of Cyberpunk 2077 and is instead working on a sequel and a new installment in the Witcher series. After a long period of updates, the ontology of "Cyberpunk 2077" also received 83% praise, and "Shadows of the Past" has a 89% praise rate.