Sony Corp. has removed CD Projekt SA’s Cyberpunk 2077 from its PlayStation Store and is offering full refunds, taking unusual steps to appease customers furious about bugs plaguing one of the year’s mostly highly anticipated gaming blockbusters.
The radical move came after the console version of Cyberpunk 2077 debuted Dec. 10 — after several delays — to mostly poor reviews and an online outcry from players frustrated with its poor performance. Warsaw-based developer CD Projekt has offered refunds to any disappointed players, but Sony is going a step further by entirely removing the game from its store.
Shares of CD Projekt plunged more than a third over six days. On Monday, the developers posted a message on Twitter saying they “should have paid more attention to making it play better on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.” But the company had not cleared its offer of a refund with console manufacturers Sony or Microsoft Corp., both of which have stringent refund policies. This week, many players who requested refunds found themselves out of luck.
It’s rare for any game to be removed from digital stores so soon after release. Previous examples include Square Enix Holdings Co.’s Final Fantasy XIV, which was taken offline in 2010 for an overhaul following a disastrous launch, and Amazon.com Inc.’s Crucible, yanked from PC stores earlier this year and subsequently canceled.
