Cyberpunk 2077 Breaks Record As The Biggest Digital Game Launch Of All Time

Cyberpunk 2077 is the biggest digital game launch of all time, with a tremendous 10.2 million copies sold in December 2020, according to a report from SuperData.

The numbers are based on digital revenue and digital units sold, with an 80% share of digital sales coming from PC. 

Superdata hypothesized that the spike in PC sales is likely due to the removal of the game on PlayStation and the overall status of the console versions.

In December 2020, Cyberpunk 2077 has been delisted from the PlayStation Store over complaints of the game's poor performance on PlayStation 4.

Nonetheless, CD Projekt Red managed to turn around and grabbed the number one spot for Top Grossing Titles under the PC category for December 2020, thanks to its extensive and effective marketing.

"A successful marketing campaign and the reputation of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt provided the hype necessary for the CD Projekt Red title to break records despite issues including performance problems on consoles, widespread glitches, and the indefinite removal of the game from the PlayStation Store," Superdata said. 

Sitting next to, Cyberpunk 2077 for Top Grossing Titles under PC category are League of Legends, World of Warcraft West, Dungeon Fighter Online, Crossfire for 2nd- 5th places, respectively.

Taking the 6th-10th place is Fantasy Westward Journey Online, Counter: Strike Global Offensive, Fortnite, Roblox, and World of Tanks. 

While the financial success is worth celebrating, CD Projekt Red must not ignore the critical-backlash and negative reviews surrounding Cyberpunk 2077 if the company wishes for long-term gain.

"Regardless of the short-term financial success, the critical backlash means the developer will now have to invest significant resources fixing the game in order to rehabilitate its image before the launch of its next title," the report added.

Fortunately, CD Projekt Red is well aware of the matter. The developer recently rolled out update 1.1, which will lay the groundwork for the upcoming patches. 

The patch includes a list of bug fixes and stability improvements to address issues that hinders players from making progress in the game.

The developer says that this is just the beginning of a series of updates that are set to come out in the upcoming weeks, adding that Patch 1.2 will be "larger" and "more significant".

Meanwhile, customers who requested refunds due to dissatisfaction following the game's release reported that they get to keep the game even after getting their money back.

One person who bought the $250 collector's edition said that he "still had everything," including the physical copy of the game after receiving a Paypal transfer from CD Projekt Red that included added sales tax.