Cyberpunk 2077 will not have microtransactions – a ‘bad idea’ says CD Projekt Red studio head

If you ever thought Polish game developer CD Projekt Red was likely to add microtransactions to its upcoming RPG Cyberpunk 2077 after release, think again.

According to CD Projekt Red studio head John Mamais in an interview with Gamespot at PAX Australia this week, that would be a ‘bad idea’.

Cyberpunk 2077 will release in April, 2019 and, even though adding microtransactions is popular with developers, with so many gamers hating them, it’s not always a great decision for a developer to take.

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Mamais is well aware of this, which is why he pointed out Cyberpunk 2077 will not have microtransactions:

“I think it’s a bad idea to do microtransactions after you release a game. It seems like it’s very profitable, though. It’s probably a hard decision for the guy that runs the business to decide if we should do it or not. But if everyone hates it, why would we do something like that and lose the goodwill of our customers?”

And you have to respect Mamais and CD Projekt Red for taking that stance when so many other video game companies do not.

Instead, many developers release a game and then do everything they can to pump every last cent out of it, and out of the pockets of the gamers that bought it.

To such an extent in some cases, they end up completely ruining the gaming experience.



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Particularly in those instances where players have already spent $60 on a game and are then expected to pay for microtransactions as well, if they want the full gaming experience.

Then again, Cyberpunk 2077 being developed and released by CD Projekt Red, I am not surprised they wouldn’t be planning on incorporating microtransactions into the new RPG.

After all, they are the same company that launched and still run DRM-free game platform GOG.com. A game distribution platform that was started as a way to combat the massive amounts of DRM being incorporated into so many game releases nowadays.

If you have spent any time on that website, and in its forums, you will know if the gaming industry is heading in one direction, GOG and CD Projekt Red will probably be heading in another. Especially if they think gamers will benefit from what they do.

Cyberpunk 2077 itself will release on April 16, 2020 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. And it will release with no microtransactions.

Thank you, CD Projekt Red.

(Now read the full interview with CD Projekt Red’s John Mamais on Gamespot if you want to know a lot more about what you can expect in the highly-anticipated game. Because this one is going to be stellar).

Michelle Topham


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