Cyberpunk 2077 Dev Promised Refunds It Couldn't Actually Guarantee

3 years 5 months ago
Link
IGN
In the wake of performance woes for Cyberpunk 2077 on older generation consoles like the base PS4 and Xbox One, CD Projekt Red promised players that they are eligible for a refund if they’re not satisfied with the performance of the game. The only problem is actually getting the refund. On December 13, the official Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter account posted a message for fans apologizing for the performance issues players are experiencing on base PS4 and Xbox One consoles, and that more patches are coming that will improve the stability and performance of Cyberpunk 2077 on consoles. The statement ends with a pledge that anyone who purchased a digital copy of Cyberpunk 2077 can refund the game if they want for a limited time through PSN, Xbox, or local retailers. “Should this not be possible, please contact us at helpmerefund@cdprojektred.com and we will do our best to help you,” reads the statement.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/15/cyberpunk-2077-for-xbox-one-and-playstation-4-review"]

Unfortunately, despite the statement, there doesn’t appear to be any special arrangement for Cyberpunk 2077 refunds with PSN or Xbox. This means customers are actually dealing with the standard refund policies of the respective stores and might not be eligible for refunds at all. During an emergency board meeting, CD Projekt Red SVP of business development Michal Nowakowski clarified that refunds for Cyberpunk 2077 are dependent on the existing refund policies in place for PSN and Xbox customers. “One has to understand: Microsoft and Sony have refund policies for every product that is released digitally on their storefronts,” Nowakowski said. “Despite several articles I’ve seen that things are being set up just for us, it’s actually not true — these policies are in place and have always been in place; they’re not offered specifically for us.” This could explain why customers, including IGN staffers, have been reporting a difficult time in trying to secure a refund. Particularly on PlayStation and the PlayStation Store. PlayStation’s refund policy is as follows: Customers have 14 days from purchase to request a refund, given that they have not started downloading or streaming the purchased game. If the download started, or players streamed the game, then they are not eligible for a refund “unless the content is faulty.” Without any special arrangement, Cyberpunk 2077 players on PlayStation are subject to the existing refund policy. And the strict wording in Sony’s refund policy means that refunds aren’t guaranteed, and it seems PlayStation users are learning this first-hand. On Twitter, users are sharing their experience with PlayStation customer support and posting records of their conversations with representatives who are denying them refunds. IGN’s Mark Medina attempted to refund their copy of Cyberpunk 2077 on PS4 but was told by a representative, “According to our records the content has been downloaded/streamed. I’m sorry, due to the restrictions outlined in the PlayStation Store Cancellation Policy; a refund cannot be made for this transaction.” Customers on Xbox have reportedly had an easier experience given Microsoft’s more relaxed refund policy which claims refunds can be given when there are “extenuating circumstances,” which the current Cyberpunk 2077 situation might fall under. Meanwhile Steam offers refunds within 14 days for any customer who has played less than two hours of a game without any other conditions. Though players who’ve logged in over 2 hours of game time are unfortunately locked out of a refund.

[poilib element="poll" parameters="id=c5a40d95-cc86-43af-8131-e5464dd6836f"]

IGN has reached out to CD Projekt Red for clarification but was told the company would not be offering any more statements on the matter. PlayStation has not responded to our requests for comment. Cyberpunk 2077 is the last major video game release of 2020, but its release hasn’t been without controversy. Problems with performance on the base consoles and a confusing, messy communication strategy from CD Projekt Red have marred an otherwise highly-anticipated launch. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.
Author
Matt T.M. Kim

Tags