Why Did Cyberpunk 2077 Take 7 Years to Develop? A Behind-the-Scenes Look

As a passionate gamer and industry commentator, I was eagerly anticipating Cyberpunk 2077 ever since that first tantalizing trailer debuted in 2013. Over the next 7 years, hype steadily built for CD Projekt Red‘s futuristic open world RPG. But the repeated delays left many wondering – why did it take so long to create this highly ambitious game? After poring through development histories and interviews, some fascinating insights emerged.

Setting the Stage: Announcing a Blockbuster

CDPR turned heads when they announced Cyberpunk 2077 – an adaptation of Mike Pondsmith‘s popular pen and paper RPG Cyberpunk 2020. With The Witcher 3 still early in development, taking on such an enormously complex project seemed daring. But CDPR aimed to create something truly genre-defining – an intricate open world shooter/RPG hybrid with immersive sim elements. They knew such a groundbreaking game would require ample development time. Early indications suggested a possible 2014 or 2015 launch. But we know things didn‘t quite go to plan!

Developing New Technology

A key reason for the extended production was CD Projekt Red‘s switch to the brand new REDengine 4. This proprietary technology powered the studio‘s titles since The Witcher 2, but creating the dense urban environment of Night City required a major upgrade. REDengine 4 enabled:

• Cutting edge graphics leveraging next-gen capabilities
• Seamlessly streaming the massive open world
• Sophisticated AI systems powering thousands of NPCs
• New vehicle physics and combat mechanics
• Customization systems for abilities, gear, and weapons

Essentially, CDPR developed an entirely new engine while building an incredibly complex game on top of it simultaneously. This questionable strategy definitely compounded the workload and caused severe growing pains.

According to engine programmer Balázs Török:

"Changing basically every major system and rewriting large parts of it while still having to deliver game features is extremely hard. Features have to be adapted, sometimes completely or partially rewritten just to function on the new systems."

Ambitious Worldbuilding Efforts

Creating Night City itself proved a herculean feat. Level designers hand-crafted the sprawling metropolis using a modular approach for maximum flexibility. Artists combined concept art, photos of real-world buildings, and 3D assets painted with graffiti. The city feels alive thanks to thousands of intrinsic details – dynamic neon signs, swirling holograms, vibrant street culture, and interactive NPCs with daily routines.

But this level of realized ambiance came at a heavy cost. At the peak of production between 2015-2020, over 500 developers worked full time bringing Night City to life. Directors struggled coordinating so many artists, designers, programmers and writers. CDPR emphasized creative freedom but reportedly lacked proper planning and process control.

Speaking anonymously to Polygon, one developer described the process as:

"A complete lack of leadership on the creative front…There were no creative directing authorities."

Without decisive leadership managing this huge pool of talent, production floundered. Progress advanced unevenly with various teams falling out of sync.

Botched Launch and Post-Release Cleanup

As the proposed April 2020 release approached, pressure mounted to ship Cyberpunk 2077 in time for holiday sales season. Despite glaring issues with bugs, visuals, and stability (especially on PS4/Xbox One), studio heads forced the game out in December. The backlash was swift and harsh.

In the aftermath, CD Projekt Red issued apologies, endured lawsuits, and saw their stock price tumble over 50%. Two major patches plus ten smaller hotfixes later, Cyberpunk 2077 entered a playable state on PC/next-gen consoles. But last-gen console owners remained (justifiably) bitter. The extensive delays and messy launch tarnished the game‘s critical reception.

According to apptopia.com, Cyberpunk 2077 saw a massive drop in daily active users following release:

Poor planning, excessive ambition, and shareholder impatience created the perfect storm. So those extra years did little to guarantee a smooth release.

Crunching Towards the Finish Line

Excessive crunch emerged as one of Cyberpunk 2077‘s most contentious development issues. Despite vowing to avoid mandatory overtime, reports indicated this brutal practice was common. Some employees supposedly worked well over 100 hours a week to meet unrealistic deadlines. Devs described having little time for family or hobbies for months if not years.

Statistics shared on a CD Projekt earnings call revealed how pervasive crunch was:

• Over 93% of devs put in extra hours during Cyberpunk‘s final sprint
• 8% worked over 10 hours of overtime each week
• 18% worked 20-30 extra hours weekly
• 12% averaged over 30 additional hours per week

This severe crunch generated lasting resentment and health issues for staff. It also undermined studio morale and accelerated talent bleed.

In one scathing Glassdoor review, an anonymous employee lashed out at management:

"After the poor reception of Cyberpunk 2077 release, all faith has been lost in the board. They have shown their incompetence."

While crunch is endemic in gaming, CDPR seemingly struggled balancing their artists‘ ambitions against market realities. Something had to give – and it proved to be workers‘ personal lives.

Cut Content Compromises Vision

To meet deadlines and reduce scope creep, vast amounts of planned content got axed. Cut features included:

• Robust vehicle customization system
• Metro and monorail fast travel system
• Wall-running, metro system, flying vehicles
• Multiple apartments to own across districts
• Reputation system altering NPC interactions dynamically
• More lifepath variations impacting missions
• More Braindance gameplay sequences
• Incredibly advanced NPC/ crowds system with complex reactions

Losing these features particularly stung as they directly impacted immersion and roleplaying potential. Cyberpunk 2077 as released feels less reactive with more limited options to influence the world. tighter integration between gameplay systems and story progression could have better showcased next-gen advancements. While CDPR partially restored cut content via patches, the overall experience still feels truncated.

Sizeable chunks of Night City itself were cut too – including a large stadium, additional metro stations, a space launch site, and staggering vertical scale. Evidence buried in the code and concept art shows a city that could have felt even more wondrous to explore.

Concept art for the cut Pacifica district reveals Cyberpunk 2077‘s lost ambition – image credit CD Projekt Red via Gamebyte

CD Projekt undoubtedly hoped to restore this content later as DLC. Regardless, the compromises required to ship Cyberpunk after 8+ years of troubled development greatly limited its gameplay horizons.

Could Anything Justify the Extended Wait?

I wholeheartedly looked forward to Cyberpunk 2077, confident CD Projekt Red‘s sterling reputation ensured a genre masterpiece. Night City itself still awes as an utterly absorbing dystopia brimming with stories. When all systems cohere, roleplaying V provides an unparalleled adrenaline rush. Ray tracing brings the future to life in unbelievable fidelity. Yet despite these triumphs, Cyberpunk‘s messy launch and trimmed content cannot be ignored.

Could the game released live up to 8+ years of ambitious promises? Probably not – the scope was clearly too sprawling even for a seasoned studio like CDPR. But their daring vision should still be celebrated. With more disciplined direction and a patient fanbase willing to forgive foibles, Cyberpunk 2077 may have reached greater heights.

Alas – gamers and executives expect near perfection these days, especially from prestige developers. But the lengthy delays indicate Cyberpunk 2077 wasn‘t shaping up as the revolutionary mega-blockbuster hoped for. Straddling generations while innovating wildly in multiple spheres strained even CD Projekt Red‘s sterling talent. Still, Night City‘s slice of strangeness beckons. And now with bugs crushed and systems stabilized, getting lost chasing side hustles yields hours of edgy sci-fi goodness.

Perhaps one day expansions will restore the full scope of CDPR‘s valiant ambition. For now, Cyberpunk 2077 stands as a monument to daring excess brought low by crunch and poor planning, yet redeemed through passion. We expected a flawless diamond polished to a mirror shine – but instead got an uncut stone still glinting beautifully despite surface flaws.