COVID-19, commonly known as the coronavirus, sure is a heck of a thing. Ignoring the pandemic side of things for the purpose of this post (please, please, please do not ignore the pandemic in your daily life), it has wreaked havoc on the economy. A number of public events have been shut down and the entertainment industry is far from immune.
GDC, SXSW, and even E3 were all canceled in attempts to slow the spread of COVID-19 and several big-budget blockbuster films have had their release dates pushed back to a time when, fingers crossed, it’s safer to go to the theater. We’re even looking at the very real possibility that the Xbox One S and Playstation will be delayed until next year.
One thing that will not be (further) delayed, if it can be at all helped, is CD PROJEKT RED’s Cyberpunk 2077.
“Today, as a result of that preparation, CD Projekt Red switches to full remote work for as long as it is needed. We think this will grant every team member the highest level of personal health safety. And while this all is a bit new to everyone, we are rising to the challenge and showing no signs of stopping in our effort to bring you some kick-ass role-playing action in September.”
Cyberpunk 2077 has already been delayed once, from April 16, 2020, to September 17, 2020. Not wanting to delay the long-awaited game once again, the developer is implementing the same work-from-home strategy as many nonessential businesses the world over. Not only does it limit human contact and lessen the chances of getting spreading the virus, but it also allows workers to continue to earn a paycheck.
In this instance, though, getting the game out on time is also a huge priority. Time will tell if the team can be just as effective working from home as they are in a combined office setting. Not to mention that the very nature of COVID-19 and the ever-evolving response to the pandemic is wildly unpredictable, so who knows what will happen?
I don’t mean to say WHO, the World Health Organization, knows. They don’t know either. WHO does not know, so who knows?
As someone who considers Cyberpunk 2077 to be the most promising game of the year and absolutely cannot wait to get their hands on it, I have this to say to CD PROJEKT RED: it’s all good. No worries. It’s a video game and it will come out when it comes out. Health and safety are the number one priorities, always.
