- The core Cyberpunk 2077 staff is moving to its sequel instead of The Witcher 4.
- The lead developer of the game has suggested that sustainability is incredibly important.
- He believes that Phantom Liberty has helped them change their style of development, which would help avoid crunch.
Three years later after its launch, Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most popular titles in the gaming industry. Not only is it popular, but the title is still winning awards and recently won the best-evolving title at BAFTA Games 2024.
While Cyberpunk 2077 faced criticism and harsh launch reactions due to its poor state after months of crunch, the team has changed its perspective on the subject. It now believes crunch needs to be avoided for a successful release.
Why it matters: The gaming industry has no shortage of examples where developers are overworked under harsh conditions to meet deadlines and release dates.
During a recent interview with Aftermath, the current associate director of the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, Pawel Sasko, talked about the shaky launch of the game.
He admitted that many developers had to leave the company following the poor launch and how the studio has changed its processes of developing a game. CDPR is more interested in sustainability moving forward.
Therefore, the team has retained its Cyberpunk 2077 staff for the sequel instead of shifting it to The Witcher 4.
Sustainability is incredibly important.
-Pawel Sasko
Pawel Sasko states that the development of Phantom Liberty has helped CDPR understand how it can improve and avoid crunch as well as finish a project without excessive overtime.
This approach ensures that such teams are ready to move on to the next project instantly, leading to an efficient workflow.
CDPR is currently using this philosophy for The Witcher 4 and the Cyberpunk 2077 successor, with developers keen on avoiding mistakes made in the past. Still, the team remains committed to sky-high ambitions.
This sounds exciting for the sequel of Cyberpunk 2077, as the team has shifted most of its existing staff from the game to the sequel. A small team is also supporting the first release, staying open to further content.
With major layoffs and poor working conditions troubling the industry this year, it is encouraging to see CDPR making such efforts.
The developer laid off a large chunk of its workers last year, but it has yet to take similar measures in 2024. We hope the commitment to avoiding crunch and keeping workers healthy also keeps it away from layoffs this year.
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