Cyberpunk 2077 development 'is far from over'

YouTube

CD Projekt said a week ago that Cyberpunk 2077 will be at this year's E3—not terribly surprising, since it was at the previous E3 too, but it was nonetheless reassuring to have it confirmed. That naturally fueled expectations, including ours, that the game will be out either late this year or early next. But it's possible that might be a little optimistic, as a new PlayStation video says that there's still a lot of work to be done.

The video showcases clips of gameplay from last year's big 48-minute walkthrough, and touches on a number of different topics including why the developers opted for first-person perspective, why the studio went silent for years after the first Cyberpunk 2077 tease, and—something I didn't know—that the game isn't just set nearly 60 years after the RPG that inspired it, but also takes place in a parallel timeline.

"This gave the team the freedom to create a game that respected and referenced the source material," the gruff-voiced narrator says, "but also suited the shift to the videogame medium."

The reaction to the Cyberpunk 2077 presentation at E3 2018 was almost universally positive, and it left the show with more than 100 awards, including a big one from us. But the video concludes with a distinct "don't start holding you breath just yet" tone: "Cyberpunk 2077 may no longer be the mystery it once was, but work on it is far from over," the narrator says, before warning—you've heard this one before—that it will be released "when it's ready."

Catch up with all we know about Cyberpunk 2077, and watch that big honkin' gameplay video if you haven't already seen it, right here.

TOPICS

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.