CD Projekt Red managers clarified that refunds for Cyberpunk 2077 will be subject to existing retailer policies during a call with investors yesterday, and said the company is not encouraging anyone to return the game.
Investors twice asked CDPR to clarify what was going on with refunds, concerned about how they might impact the game’s sales. The company isn’t ready to say how many refunds have been processed, in part because much of that process is subject to Sony and Microsoft’s refund rules.
“One has to understand: Microsoft and Sony have refund policies for every product that is released digitally on their storefronts,” said SVP of business development, Michał Nowakowski. “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.”
He went on:
Anyone who has purchased any title on the PlayStation network or the Microsoft storefront can ask for a refund, and if it’s made within certain boundaries, usually related to time, usage and so on, can ask for that refund. Our procedure here with Microsoft and Sony is not different than with any other title released on any of those storefronts. I want to state that clearly, as there seem to be certain misconceptions.
[referenced id=”1198076″ url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/12/cyberpunk-2077-developers-are-sorry-the-game-is-shitty-on-ps4-and-xbox-one/” thumb=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/12/14/eohjhx2yth2jevrc1aoo-300×162.png” title=”Cyberpunk 2077 Developers Are Sorry The Game Runs Badly On PS4 And Xbox, Offer Refunds” excerpt=”Did you buy Cyberpunk 2077 on last-gen consoles? I did! It’s buggy and looks rough. CD Projekt Red is now sorry about that.”]
The “misconceptions” Nowakowski tried to walk back are due in part to CDPR’s own prior comments. Yesterday, the company told players in a statement on Twitter that anyone displeased with the game’s poor performance on Xbox One and PS4 could request a refund, making it seem as if this was an offer being made directly by CDPR. “We would always like everyone who buys our games to be satisfied with their purchase,” the company wrote. “We would appreciate it if you would give us a chance, but if you are not pleased with the game on your console and don’t want to wait for updates, you can opt to refund your copy.”
The company told owners of the digital version of the game to use the refund systems on PSN and Xbox, and for anyone who bought a physical copy to first try returning it to the store they got it from. “Should this not be possible, please contact us at helpmerefund@cdprojektred.com and we will do our best to help you,” the company wrote.
[referenced id=”1198097″ url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/12/how-to-get-a-refund-for-cyberpunk-2077-on-ps4-or-xbox-one/” thumb=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/12/15/xig4u2ufonxy7acwwtyv-300×169.jpg” title=”How To Get A Refund For Cyberpunk 2077 On PS4 Or Xbox One” excerpt=”You don’t have to stick with Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt Red’s latest open-world escapade released last week to a raucous mix of fanfare and criticism, with much of the ire rooted in how poorly the game runs on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One — and how CDPR hid those versions…”]
And for a lot of people it hasn’t been possible. As Kotaku reported yesterday, players on both PSN and Xbox have had mixed results. Sony’s policy allows 14 days for a refund, but only if the game hasn’t been downloaded or played. The platform does make exceptions for “faulty” products, but did not respond to a request for comment clarifying whether it considers Cyberpunk 2077 as it currently runs on PS4 — glitches, crashes, and all — to fall into that category.
Microsoft’s policy is more opaque. The only requirement is that the game was purchased less than 14 days ago, but the refunds are issued on a case-by-case basis. “We provide Digital Game Product refunds as part of a consistent and reliable buying experience,” a spokesperson for Microsoft told Tom’s Guide in a statement, before referring the site to its standard refund policy and adding that any other questions about Cyberpunk 2077 should be directed to CDPR. In other words, both companies are saying go ask the other one.
Kotaku tried reaching out to CDPR’s refund email earlier this morning to see what would happen but so far hasn’t received a response. CDPR did not respond to a request for comment about the current state of the game on last-gen consoles or players’ ongoing issues trying to refund the game.
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