FollowingCyberpunk 2077’s delay to this September, CD Projekt Red announced that the team wouldhave to crunchin order to meet the new release date. In a report fromGamedaily.biz, the International Game Developers Association has provided a statement criticizing CD Projekt Red’s decision to crunch.
“A studio as massively successful as CDPR would hopefully have the means to support a longer development cycle to reduce crunch,” says Renee Gittins, IGDA’s Executive Director. “While they have previously noted their crunch periods are not mandatory, the pressure to crunch is strong just from supporting longer hours and even stronger when directly asking developers to work nights and weekends.”
For those that don’t know, crunch is when a developer has to work excessive overtime to meet their deadlines. That could mean having to work on weekends and holidays, sometimes without extra pay. Studios likeNaughty DogandRockstarhave been subjects around the conversation around crunch in the past few years. Gittens goes onto say that the games industry needs to be more conscious of how to treat developers.
“Work-life balance is critical for the mental health of developers, and studios should consider the well being of their employees when determining a new release date,” continues Gittins. “Gamers have become more aware of the pressures on game developers and they are more understanding of delayed launches.”
In addition toCyberpunk 2077,Marvel’s Avengerswas delayed to September,Final Fantasy VII Remakewas delayed to April,Iron Man VRwas delayed to May, andDying Light 2was delayed to an unspecified time. After CD Projekt Red announcedCyberpunk’s delay, they confirmed that the game’s multiplayer willprobably launch after 2021.
Cyberpunk 2077launches on August 19, 2025 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia, and PC. The game is available for preorder onAmazonnow.
