Report: Cyberpunk 2077's buggy launch cost CD Projekt Red founders $1bn in market value

Cyberpunk 2077 and CD Projekt Red were expected to dominate the headlines after the game's launch, but not in the way they are trending right now.

The rise of CDPR as one of the most beloved and respected studios in the AAA space was one that captivated audiences. The Witcher trilogy was able to attain the kind of reverence reserved only for the best of the genre's best.

Therefore, when the Polish studio's next project was revealed to be Cyberpunk 2077, an RPG set in a dystopian future, fans had all the reasons to be excited. On December 10th, after several delays, the game was finally released across several platforms, including PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Stadia.

While the PC version worked quite well, the console versions were quickly deemed "unplayable." The effects of which the CDPR founders are facing in terms of market value and wealth.

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Report: Cyberpunk 2077's horror launch has cost CDPR founders big time

The state in which Cyberpunk 2077 was released on the PS4 and Xbox One (now considered last-gen consoles) left many fans utterly confused and outraged. CDPR, who had until December 10th maintained its position as one of the most beloved developers, took a major hit not only in terms of reputation but also market value.

According to a Bloomberg report, Cyberpunk 2077's questionable launch has cut more than $1 billion off the wealth of the company's founders, Marcin Iwinski, Adam Kicinski, and Piotr Nielubowicz, along with a fourth major owner, Michal Kicinski.

In response to the state in which Cyberpunk 2077 was launched on consoles, players took to social media to express concerns and outrage.

CDPR, as a result, issued an apology that also addressed its lack of transparency with regards to footage of last-gen console performance not being revealed ahead of launch.

pic.twitter.com/jtF5WKCiro

— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) December 14, 2020

The studio laid out the roadmap for updates leading up to February regarding addressing performance issues on last-gen consoles. The studio also encouraged players to get their copies of the games refunded in case waiting for updates didn't seem like an appealing prospect.

The sales of Cyberpunk 2077 have taken a massive hit, with the average forecast for 12-month sales falling to 25.6 million copies from almost 30 million copies expected before the December 10th release (source: Bloomberg News).

While the financial loss will hurt CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk 2077's launch will undoubtedly cause fans to be more cautious of the company's future releases, which is exponentially more challenging to fix.