Since its release back in 2020, Cyberpunk 2077 has had a rough release, as fans were not happy with the state of the game and its constant issues that plagued the entirety of the game.
However, over the last few years, there have been a few bug fixes and updates that have helped to bring the game into a playable state. But none have made as big of an impact as Phantom Liberty and Update 2.0, which brought thousands of improvements to the game and more content, but at what cost?
How Did Phantom Liberty And Update 2.0 Help To Save Cyberpunk 2077?
Back in 2020, Cyberpunk 2077 was released with a rather negative reception from fans, as the game was chock full of issues, bugs, and just in-general crashes. This caused Cyberpunk 2077 to begin it’s descent into gamer libraries as most gamers began to lose interest.
Over the years, there have been a few updates that began to fix small issues within the game; however, players thought Cyberpunk 2077 could not be saved.
Fortunately, due to Phantom Liberty and Update 2.0, there has been new life brought into Cyberpunk 2077, which has had players return with a whole new view on the game.
Phantom Liberty was a desperate change that was needed for Cyberpunk 2077 as it was struggling to keep a player base, which, if it continued, could have led to the game being shut down.
Related: It Took More than $120 Million to Save Cyberpunk 2077
Luckily, the changes brought to Cyberpunk 2077, thanks to Phantom Liberty and Update 2.0, helped by fixing any lingering bugs that plagued the game. These fixes have altered certain quests and ensured that once a player starts the game, it does not crash and ruin their experience.
This came as a surprise to many players and the larger gaming community, as many thought Cyberpunk 2077 could never be saved. Some thought it would be a wasted venture by CD Projekt Red to attempt a rescue, but this proved there was something worth saving.
The Price of Phantom Liberty And Update 2.0, And Why CDPR Was Willing To Pay.
Phantom Liberty and Update 2.0 were such huge endeavors for CD Projekt Red, as they essentially had to comb over the base game of Cyberpunk 2077. This was in addition to creating a brand-new set of content for players to enjoy, and understandably, this would cost a lot of money to do.
In its development process, Phantom Liberty and Update 2.0 cost CD Projekt Red approximately $63 million in development costs and approximately $21 million in USD in advertising.
Putting these two costs together would have equated to over $84 million to develop and advertise Phantom Liberty, which is close to half of what it cost to develop the base game back in 2020.
Related: Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel Finally Gets Official Update
When talking video games, these are pretty high costs for a lonely DLC, but Phantom Liberty wasn’t just a DLC, it practically feels like a brand-new title.
At the moment, Phantom Liberty is the only DLC that will be released for Cyberpunk 2077, and it will sadly stay that way.
Throughout CD Projekt Red’s history, there are some DLCs that always bring back fond memories, one of which is The Witcher 3 Blood And Wine DLC.
This DLC was more set towards fan service than anything else, but it shows how much effort and love CD Projekt Red have for their games and their fan bases.
Due to CD Projekt Red’s history with its DLCs, it was evident that Phantom Liberty could be a massive hit if done right, but rather than being a fan service like Blood And Wine, it was more focused on repairing a broken game.
This turned Phantom Liberty into more of an apology than fan service, but in the end, it did both.
What do you think about this news regarding Phantom Liberty and Update 2.0? Did it shock you to learn how much it cost to save such a negatively reviewed game? Let us know what you think in the comments!
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