Will Cyberpunk 2077 be one of the bestselling video games of all time?
- Analysts expect the role-playing game starring Keanu Reeves to sell almost 30 million copies in its first year
- In a potentially promising sign for the game, some recent major studio releases have received mixed receptions while others have been postponed to 2021
Eight years after it was first announced, with three missed deadlines and roughly US$130 million spent, CD Projekt’s Cyberpunk 2077 is finally coming to market. And with the stock soaring in anticipation of the release, the pressure is on for a good reception from gamers.
The Polish independent studio has a lot riding on its new franchise, given the scarcity of its releases.
While smaller games, expansion packs and its own sales platform provide revenue in between releases, its last major title, The Witcher 3, came out in 2015. That contrasts with several high-profile releases each year from rivals such as Ubisoft and Activision Blizzard.
Analysts expect the role-playing game to sell almost 30 million copies in its first year, according to 10 estimates compiled by Bloomberg. That would make it one of the bestselling video games of all time and amount to more than the five-year sales of the third instalment of the Witcher series, the studio’s most successful game, a medieval title that was spun off into an original TV series by Netflix.
Initial journalist review scores mark its first important test. With the launch scheduled for December 10, the studio hasn’t said when it would release first sales data, but said it’s “really happy” with the amount of pre-orders.