Cyberpunk 2077’s latest fixes may be too little, too late

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Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 1.3 is now available, and may do some good

Cyberpunk 2077
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)

We’re still talking about Cyberpunk 2077 eight months after its launch — but perhaps not for the right reasons. CD Projekt Red’s highly anticipated follow-up to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt had a rough launch, particularly on consoles, delivering a buggy, compromised experience rather than a genre-defining hit. The Cyberpunk 2077 1.3 patch will address some of the game’s lingering issues, as well as add some free DLC. But while CD Projekt Red’s commitment to fixing its game is admirable, the window to make Cyberpunk 2077 happen may have already come and gone.

CD Projekt Red discussed the Cyberpunk 2077 1.3 patch during a Twitch livestream — which left fans feeling pretty apathetic. During the stream, the Cyberpunk devs highlighted their latest round of free DLC for the game. These include an alternate appearance for a non-player character, two new jackets for protagonist V and a hideous orange car called the Bandit. For fans who played through the game back when it debuted — bugs and all — it wasn’t much of a reason to come back.

The good news is that Patch 1.3 is live now, and does address a huge number of issues. It would take too long to detail every single patch change, but it basically makes the game more stable, better-looking and easier to play. These are all good changes, and CD Projekt Red deserve some credit for working hard to fix them so long after launch.

However, “so long after launch” is the operative phrase here. The conversation surrounding Cyberpunk has gone from “intense anticipation” to “general disappointment” to “mild outrage” to “radio silence.” People who really wanted to play through Cyberpunk have probably already done so; people who were on the fence probably don’t feel like it’s an urgent priority anymore.

That puts CD Projekt Red in an awkward position. If the company doesn’t do its best to address every last patch, fans will accuse it of charging $60 for an unfinished product. If the company does pour a ton of time and resources into making the game perfect, it may do so to diminishing returns.

Retail stores, at least, may not hold out much hope for Cyberpunk 2077’s rehabilitation. Yesterday, you could get the Xbox One and PS4 versions of the game for only $10. While they’re now back up to $40, the $10 promotion was a stark contrast from the game’s $60 price on PC. Generally speaking, the console versions of Cyberpunk 2077 haven’t been up to snuff, and don’t receive fixes nearly as fast or as frequently as the PC version.

For the moment, CD Projekt Red is still committed to making Cyberpunk 2077 right. But there’s still a long way to go, and cosmetic DLC can carry only so much weight.

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Marshall Honorof
Marshall Honorof

Marshall Honorof is a senior editor for Tom's Guide, overseeing the site's coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a science writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of science and technology. After hours, you can find him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on classic sci-fi. 

1 Comment Comment from the forums
  • GraniteStateColin
    While it hasn't received the kind of positive attention as its Witcher 3 predecessor, I would say the game is at a comparable state now. If you liked the Witcher 3 and if you are interested in a cyberpunk setting or especially if you liked the original Cyberpunk pen and paper game on which it's based, then Cyberpunk 2077 is a fantastic game that, for the most part, improves on the Witcher 3. It's a very similar game in terms of structure, strengths, and weaknesses. Clearly made by the same highly talented team.

    I think the only reason it gets negative press at this point is because it made a bad first impression and people aren't looking past that to what the game is now, which is a GREAT game (not perfect, but still great). It should not have been released when it was. It was clearly not ready at that point, but much has changed since then.

    The developers made it clear during that streaming event this week that the game has finally just reached a stability point that they can now begin to roll out the content updates and DLC. So it's not at all surprising that this first DLC is pretty light on new content. I assume (we'll have to see if they live up to their claims) that future updates will have fewer fixes and more new stuff.

    My biggest complaints with Cyberpunk 2077 at this point relate to inventory management (this was a weakness in the Witcher 3 too) and the constant in-your-face porn advertising everywhere in the game (I don't mind it per item, just the lack of variety where it sometimes seems like it's the only way anyone sells anything in Night City). Neither of these is a really serious problem, but improving the inventory controls along with added content (including hopefully some HUGE paid DLC expansions) and a New Game Plus are my main hopes for future updates.
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