Sony Removing Cyberpunk 2077 from PS Store

Update 2: CD Projekt Red has vowed to "bring Cyberpunk 2077 back to PlayStation Store as soon as possible" in a statement to players. On Twitter, the company released a new public-facing statement, reiterating that the PlayStation version (both physical and digital) will continue to receive updates even while not available for digital sale. No timeline was given for when the game may return to the store.. The statement also perhaps implies that the decision to remove the game was made by both Sony and CD Projekt Red. That's potentially to allow for refunds to be granted without breaching Sony's existing policies (which had caused trouble for many seeking to return their digital copies this week). IGN contacted Sony and CD Projekt for clarification, but both refused to comment. Xbox has not yet responded to a request for comment on its own course of action with regard to the game.

Important Update for @PlayStation Users pic.twitter.com/fCB4z74M3z

— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) December 18, 2020

The full statement reads: "Following our discussion with PlayStation, a decision was made to temporarily suspend digital distribution of Cyberpunk 2077 on PlayStation Store. You can still buy physical versions of the game in brick and mortar stores and online. All purchased digital and physical copies of the game will continue to receive support and updates as we continue to improve your experience. "According to our knowledge, starting today, everyone who is not willing to wait for updates and wants to refund their digital copy of the game, can do so by submitting a request at https://www.playstation.com/cyberpunk-2077-refunds. "We are working hard to bring Cyberpunk 2077 back to PlayStation Store as soon as possible." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Update: The Board of CD Projekt has commented on Sony's decision to yank Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store, noting "[t]he decision was undertaken following our discussion with [Sony Interactive Entertainment] regarding a full refund for all gamers who had purchased Cyberpunk 2077 via PlayStation Store and want a refund at this time." "All copies of the game previously purchased digitally on PlayStation Store remain available for use by their respective buyers," confirmed CD Projekt in its statement. "Gamers can still buy physical versions of the game in retail and mail order stores." CD Projekt also asserted that all digital and physical copies of Cyberpunk 2077 "will continue to receive support and updates." Original story continues below: [poilib element="accentDivider"] Sony Interactive Entertainment has confirmed it will give players of Cyberpunk 2077 on PS4 (or on PS5 via backward compatibility) refunds for purchasing the game. But the platform holder is taking things a step further and actually removing Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store for digital purchase "until further notice." In a newly posted refund-related page, SIE confirmed its intentions to offer full refunds to all players who purchased Cyberpunk via the PS Store, while also committing to delisting the game for the time being. The company's full statement reads:

"SIE strives to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction, therefore we will begin to offer a full refund for all gamers who have purchased Cyberpunk 2077 via PlayStation Store. SIE will also be removing Cyberpunk 2077 from PlayStation Store until further notice. "Once we have confirmed that you purchased Cyberpunk 2077 via PlayStation Store, we will begin processing your refund. Please note that completion of the refund may vary based on your payment method and financial institution."

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/15/cyberpunk-2077-for-xbox-one-and-playstation-4-review"] Players can submit for their refund here. Sony's announcement comes after the messy messaging of Cyberpunk 2077's launch, which included a significant performance gap between the PC and PS4/Xbox One versions of the game, the latter of which were not shown running on base hardware pre-release. Following Cyberpunk's launch, CDPR apologized for the console versions. "...We would like to start by apologizing to you for not showing the game on base last-gen consoles before it premiered and, in consequence, not allowing you to make a more informed decision about your purchase. We should have paid more attention to making it play better on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One," the statement read. Alongside it, CDPR said players could request refunds for the console versions if they were dissatisfied, however there was no official word from Microsoft or PlayStation about honoring these at the time. [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=9f9ed23c-ec9b-43d3-9731-b7464aff0edb"] While there had been reports of some players receiving refunds even before CDPR's apology, following it, it seemed that no special deal had been worked out between CDPR and the platform holders at that time. Widespread reports of players, including some on IGN's staff, who were unable to properly request refunds due to platform policies began to spread. IGN at the time had reached out to CDPR for comment, but Sony's offering of refunds and full removal of the game from the store is the first official word we've heard on the company's policy toward Cyberpunk's launch. Prior to launch, IGN had only played the PC version of Cyberpunk 2077, which we praised in our review, but following their launch, IGN separately reviewed the Cyberpunk 2077 console versions, saying "If your only option right now is playing Cyberpunk 2077 on either of the base console platforms, I highly suggest you don’t play at all until its many terrible performance issues are fixed. And if you’ve already bought it and had an experience similar to what I’ve described, you should absolutely get a refund if possible." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=cyberpunk-2077-examples-of-visual-bugs&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.