The new game, which premiered on Thursday, has become a global hit overnight, winning “universal acclaim” from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.
Cyberpunk 2077 received 8 million pre-orders on all gaming platforms, making it the most pre-ordered game of all time, smashing a previous record of 7 million set by Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto 5.
The new game, which features Hollywood superstar Keanu Reeves, is set in a future where the world is ruled by mega-corporations and where most inhabitants are cyborgs.
First conceptual work on the game started in 2012. According to Polish public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency, Cyberpunk 2077’s total production budget, including marketing expenses, amounts to over PLN 1 billion (USD 273 m, EUR 226 m).
CD Projekt is also behind the hit video game series The Witcher, based on a book by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski.
Polish video games have become a showpiece of the country’s entertainment industry.
Poland has over 440 game developing companies, which employ around 10,000 people. In 2019, revenues from Polish game sales exceeded PLN 2.1 bn (USD 573 m, EUR 474 m).
In May this year, CD Projekt reached a market valuation of USD 8.1 billion, making it the largest video game industry company in Europe, ahead of French giant Ubisoft.
(jh/pk)
Source: IAR