Players are struggling to get their promised refunds for Cyberpunk 2077, as CD Projekt Red confirms that they do not have any special returns policy agreements with Microsoft or Sony. The news came as gamers confirmed that Sony was refusing refunds based on their existing refund system, and no bilateral agreement had been made between the companies.
Unlike what CD Projekt Red suggested earlier this week, Sony and Microsoft have not agreed to any special-case refunds for Cyberpunk 2077. Hang on, didn’t CD Projekt Red (CDPR) issue a statement to the contrary? Well yes sir, you are correct. But there was no agreement with either the Xbox, or the PlayStation people...
What were you thinking, CDPR? Releasing such a highly anticipated game in this state, and then releasing a press statement filled with inaccuracies? It’s hard not to be troubled by the pseudo-transparency of their statement earlier this week, when gamers are being refused refunds for a broken product!
The facts remain: eight million preorders, many of which were for the last-gen releases of Cyberpunk 2077. On PS4 and Xbox One we have heard reports of framerates as low as 10FPS, and so many reports of hard game-crashes that it is impossible to quantify the numbers! CDPR issued the following statement earlier this week on Twitter:
— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) December 14, 2020
Not included in the above statement, is what was revealed in an emergency investor call the next day, that CDPR does not have an official refund policy organized with Sony, Microsoft, or in fact, any retail partners either. This means that players who wish to seek a refund on this, frankly broken game, are entirely at the mercy of respective companies returns policies.
To say that CDPR’s statement is misleading is a true understatement. When players contacted Sony, there has been a mixed response with some reporting success stories, and some being told to literally wait for the updates! Microsoft has issued a statement advising players to follow their standard refund policy, and it’s all just one giant clusterf**k!
Whilst it seems that Microsoft’s returns policy is serving gamers okay, PlayStation’s has been a different story, with stricter rules on Sony’s console. Meanwhile, technically retailers don’t need to offer refunds – they have already purchased the stock, and many will only allow returns for ‘faulty’ stock! If players email CDPR as they suggested, they are returned with the following automated message:
People are starting to get this response back from CD Projekt RED, after emailing their "help" address for refunds. The language is interesting: it doesn't tell you to request a refund from Sony anymore. You're supposed to wait. pic.twitter.com/Hb77SQ5teD
— Patrick Klepek (@patrickklepek) December 16, 2020
This one clearly levels part of the blame at Sony, and is yet again the opposite of a concrete answer to queries. It looks as though this week's patch has done little to alleviate the issues, and gamers will be faced with waiting until January or February for a proper and permanent fix.
One of the biggest and most pertinent questions here, though, is: should Cyberpunk 2077 be considered a ‘faulty’ product? In our opinion, yes it should, but there is no strict interpretation of this question, leaving most retailers to refuse refunds. Yet again: a complete mess!
What has become the most clear through all of this, is that original statement from CDPR was exactly this: lip service. It sounded good, it sounded humble, but it simply had no substance in it whatsoever. We are scrambling to get any refunds at all – apart from, perhaps, Microsoft – and the statement, in hindsight, clearly only referred to existing returns policies.
We’re going to keep you up-to-date on this story, and update our readers with any new information that comes about improvements to the game, usability, and refunds for dissatisfied gamers. We loved Cyberpunk 2077...on PS5. But on last-gen, the game is unplayable, and we will tell you everything you need to know as the story unfolds.
READ MORE:
- Witcher 4 Leaked in Cyberpunk 2077 Emergency Conference
- Cyberpunk 2077 Has a GTA San Andreas Easter Egg!
- Cyberpunk 2077 Release: Sales Records & Technical Problems
- Christmas Gift Ideas for PS5 Fans
For more gaming and esports news, stick to EarlyGame. Having trouble getting a refund for Cyberpunk 2077? Please share your stories with us. Get in touch through our Twitter and Facebook, and check out our YouTube channel!