Cyberpunk 2077 devs are getting death threats over the delay

(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)

Yesterday, CD Projekt Red announced there'd be one last delay to Cyberpunk 2077. Despite going gold in September, the developer reckoned it needed a few more weeks to bring all the current and next-gen version of the games up to scratch.

Sadly, if predictably, this has led to a whole lot of flak being sent towards individual developers, with Senior game designer Andrzej Zawadzki taking to Twitter to push back against "unacceptable" death threats.

I want to address one thing in regards of the @CyberpunkGame delay. I understand you're feeling angry, disappointed and want to voice your opinion about it.However, sending death threats to the developers is absolutely unacceptable and just wrong. We are people, just like you.October 27, 2020

Much of the motivation behind the vitriol stems from the idea that CD Projekt deceived fans over promises not to postpone the game again. One tweet, in particular, has been bandied around— an unfortunately timed reply to a fan assuring there'd be no more delays a day before yesterday's announcement.

Corporations aren't singular entities, of course. In a reply, Fabian Mario Döhla (who posted that promise from the @CyberpunkGame handle) explained that the delay wasn't free knowledge at the time of posting, leading to the unfortunate assurance.

"Thing is: we are a public traded company and it’s almost impossible to tell every employee beforehand," Döhla tweeted. "Mainly because of legal reasons. Long story short: CP Twitter did not lie on purpose. I simply didn’t know. Apologies."

According to Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, it seems that most employees at CDPR may have only found out about the delay through an internal email sent alongside the public delay announcement. The apparent reasoning being that they "couldn't share the news earlier because of stock regulations".

With the studio reportedly already crunching to get the game out this winter (despite earlier promises not to), it's likely the 21-day delay will only mean more long weeks for developers on the studio floor. Menacing emails from disgruntled fans aren't going to make those conditions any easier.

Cyberpunk 2077 is now set to release on December 10th.

20 years ago, Nat played Jet Set Radio Future for the first time, and she's not stopped thinking about games since. Joining PC Gamer in 2020, she comes from three years of freelance reporting at Rock Paper Shotgun, Waypoint, VG247 and more. Embedded in the European indie scene and a part-time game developer herself, Nat is always looking for a new curiosity to scream about—whether it's the next best indie darling, or simply someone modding a Scotmid into Black Mesa. She also unofficially appears in Apex Legends under the pseudonym Horizon.