Like the federal government, CD Projekt Red dropped a major update at 5 p.m. on a Friday. The first major patch for Cyberpunk 2077 is officially out, nine days after the developer apologized for the state of the game’s console release and promised a major patch within ten days. Patch 1.1 addresses a slate of issues, including buggy quests, visual hiccups, and the game’s general stability (or lack thereof). It’s currently available for all platforms.
Curiously, there are notable differences between what the patch addresses on each system. For instance, crowds in the PlayStation 4 version of the game will receive “performance optimization,” but only for those playing on a PlayStation 4 Pro or a PlayStation 5. (The next-gen version of Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t out yet. If you’re playing on PS5, you’re playing the PS4 version via backward compatibility.) Meanwhile, Xbox players across all consoles should see improved memory usage. Those playing on Stadia should no longer see “corrupted textures” on melee weapons, while PC players...well, you guys were doing fine enough anyway.
You can read the full patch notes here. According to CDPR, a second, beefier patch is due in the coming weeks. The company didn’t cite a specific date but said in December that the update should release sometime in February.
It’s been a rocky road for Cyberpunk 2077. Prior to launch, CDPR didn’t make console copies available to reviewers, masking the game’s performance. Those playing on launch-edition PS4 or Xbox One consoles experienced a nigh-unplayable game hampered by rough visuals and shaky performance. On December 14, CDPR acknowledged the issues and offered refunds for the game, but the process, like Cyberpunk 2077 itself, was somewhat of a disaster. Three days later, in an unprecedented move, Sony pulled Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store. As of this writing, the game is still unlisted.
Somewhere in Cyberpunk 2077, there’s an excellent game, but the oxygen in the room has been sucked up by a trifecta of the game’s issues, the studio’s reaction to said issues, and the public’s reaction to the reaction to said issues. The New York Times dedicated a feature article to the situation as did Bloomberg. Outside of the press, law firms have cobbled together class action suits (on behalf of investors, mind you, rather than any players who may feel slighted). Meanwhile, observers have had literally every possible reaction, with some going so far as to cast death threats at the developers. (Please don’t do that.)
It’s all been a lot to take in. Here’s hoping this major patch is the first step on a path that allows us to start discussing the game on its own merits rather than the unfortunate situation it exists in.