Cyberpunk 2077 Devs Talk RED Engine Innovations, Promotion, & More; September Release Unchanged

Today CD Projekt RED released its consolidated annual report for 2019, and it included relevant information about Cyberpunk 2077.

First of all, we get to take a look at the relevant revenue and income figures, which shows that the popular developer has made quite a lot more money in 2019 than it did in 2018.

You can check out the full table below.

We then hear once again the confirmation by way of president and CEO Adam Kiciński that the whole team has been working from home for a while, and the Coronavirus situation has caused no major disruptions, so the plan to launch Cyberpunk 2077 in September remains unchanged.

“Since mid-March we have been working from home, while ensuring continuity of all our of operations.

Our goals haven’t changed; first and foremost, we intend to release Cyberpunk 2077 in September. We feel motivated and have the necessary tools at our disposal to meet this goal. “

Unsurprisingly, it appears that the game is receiving a lot of attention on social media.

“As the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 draws closer, the game’s o!cial social media profiles are attracting ever more attention. The number of people following Cyberpunk’s Twitter doubled in 2019, reaching 700 thousand, while the social YouTube channel attracted over 300 thousand additional subscribers, reaching a total of 750 thousand subscribers.”

We even get a comparison between the audience of major trailers for the game compared to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

We then learn that in the initial period of pre-orders, approximately one-third of all Cyberpunk 2077 digital PC pre-orders were made on CD Projekt’s own GoG platform.

Interestingly, CD Projekt believes that Cyberpunk 2077 may entice more gamers to try The Witcher series as well.

“The most significant factors shaping the current results of the CD PROJEKT Capital Group include the popularity of previously published games set in The Witcher universe, as well as – in future periods – the progress of development and market reception of the Company’s new releases, including Cyberpunk 2077 and further products.

To-date enthusiastic reception of the Studio’s new product by gamers and experts alike suggests strong potential of the brand, both in terms of PR and commercial appeal. Commitment to product quality, maintaining the pace of the Cyberpunk 2077 marketing campaign, PR activities, hype management and fostering community relations are all important aspects of the game’s anticipated market success.

In addition, global recognition and popularity of the Cyberpunk 2077 brand may entice gamers who are not yet familiar with The Witcher games to seek access to the Company’s earlier products.”

On top of that, the technology and know-how acquired by developing Gwent are considered “strategically important” for the development of the multiplayer edition of Cyberpunk 2077.

GWENT: The Witcher Card Game is the first multiplayer game developed by the CD PROJEKT Group in which CD PROJEKT and GOG collaborate to jointly create new technological solutions while extending their knowledge and experience in terms of provisioning online products. These  technologies and know-how are strategically important for the Group and its future development and publishing capabilities, particularly in the context of the previously announced work on the multiplayer edition of Cyberpunk 2077

We also hear about the fourth generation of CD Projekt’s RED Engine, which includes “new solutions which will be employed for the first time” in Cyberpunk.

“Work on the fourth generation of REDEngine involves, among others, development of new technologies co-financed under the GameINN umbrella (part of the Intelligent Growth Operational Programme). The Company secured funding for these projects in 2016 and they successfully continued throughout 2019”

• City Creation – comprehensive technology enabling creation of massive “living” cities playable in real-time and based on the principles of artificial intelligence and automation, including innovative processes and tools which assist in the development of top-quality open-world games.
• Animation Excellence – comprehensive technology facilitating rapid increases in the quality and e!ciency of creating complex body and face animations for use in open-world RPGs, including innovative process solutions and a unique dedicated toolkit.
• Cinematic Feel – comprehensive technology which delivers exceptional cinematic quality of cutscenes set in open-world RPG environments, including innovative process solutions and a unique dedicated toolkit.
• Seamless Multiplayer – comprehensive technology facilitating immersive multiplayer gameplay with support for matchmaking, session management, object replication and various gameplay models, along with a unique dedicated toolkit.

Last, but not least, below you can enjoy a lovely illustration included in the report.

If you want to learn more about Cyberpunk 2077, you can enjoy some more recent comments from CD Projekt RED’s executives, the latest gameplay, additional comments from the developers, and enjoy some really high-definition character images.

You can also read our semi-recent interview with producer Richard Borzymowski, how character creation can impact the story, and every way V can kill someone.

Cyberpunk 2077 is coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and it has recently been delayed to September 17, 2020.

Speaking of consoles, we learned that whoever buys Cyberpunk on Xbox One will also get an upgrade for Xbox One X when the game launches on next-gen, which indirectly confirms that it will, if you had any doubt.