In a startling move, Sony has delisted Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store. This news came as part of an announcement that Sony would be offering full refunds to anyone who purchased Cyberpunk 2077 via the PS Store. This move is an exception to Sony’s standard PS Store policy, which doesn’t allow refunds if a player has played a game for any amount of time.
Cyberpunk 2077‘s removal from the PS Store is just the latest in the controversy surrounding the game’s launch. After announcing the game, CD Projekt Red was silent about it for five years. However, beginning in mid-2018, the studio started a marketing campaign that hyped Cyberpunk 2077 to the point where it was quickly one of the most anticipated games of the decade. Unfortunately, though the story and art direction was praised, the game launched as a buggy, disappointing mess.
SIE strives to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction, and we will begin to offer a full refund for all gamers who have purchased Cyberpunk 2077 via PlayStation Store and want a refund. Please visit the following link to initiate the refund: https://t.co/DEZlC0LmUG.
— Ask PlayStation (@AskPlayStation) December 18, 2020
Sony’s announcement reads:
“SIE strives to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction, therefore we will begin to offer a full refund for all gamers who have purchased Cyberpunk 2077 via PlayStation Store. SIE will also be removing Cyberpunk 2077 from PlayStation Store until further notice.
Once we have confirmed that you purchased Cyberpunk 2077 via PlayStation Store, we will begin processing your refund. Please note that completion of the refund may vary based on your payment method and financial institution.”
The decision to delist Cyberpunk 2077 likely stems from the title’s abhorrent performance on the base PS4. In addition to general bugginess, the game frequently dips below into the teens even after the 1.04 update. Also, Sony likely didn’t take kindly to CD Projekt Red’s statement that dissatisfied players could refund the game, a statement the studio made without consulting any storefronts.
Needless to say, this has been a rough week for CD Projekt Red. In what should be a moment of triumph for the studio, it’s been lambasted for Cyberpunk 2077‘s incomplete, buggy state. Additionally, GOG, which is wholly owned by CD Projekt Red, came under fire for releasing a statement that the indie horror game Devotion from Taiwanese studio Red Candle Games would be coming to the store and hours later retracting the statement after pressure from Chinese bots and trolls.
