Cyberpunk 2077 post-launch content model will probably be similar to The Witcher 3's
CD Projekt Red is happy to borrow The Witcher 3's DLC/expansion setup for Cyberpunk 2077.
Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red has yet to talk in any detail about post-launch content plans, what with the main game being months away still. But, that doesn't mean fans aren't already anxious to learn how the developer will be monetising that content.
With The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, CDPR frequently rolled out free DLC in the form of costumes and skins, available to all players. Separately, the developer was also working on meaty, paid expansions which added new areas and plenty of new quests. Outside of that, you couldn't buy anything else with real money.
This same model may return for Cyberpunk 2077, as CD Projekt Red is not a fan of adding microtransactions to a game after it has shipped.
"I think it's a bad idea to do microtransactions after you release a game. It seems like it's very profitable, though," head of CDPR's Krakow office, John Mamais, told Gamespot at PAX Australia.
"It's probably a hard decision for the guy that runs the business to decide if we should do it or not. But if everyone hates it, why would we do something like that and lose the goodwill of our customers?"
That said, Mamais revealed that The Witcher 3's model was successful, so there's no reason to abandon it for something else, even if he can't quite commit to confirming these details now.
"[The Witcher 3's free DLC with big paid expansions] was a good model for us; it worked pretty well for The Witcher 3," Mamais added. "I don't see why we wouldn't try to replicate that model with Cyberpunk 2077.
"We're not talking about that yet, but it seems like that would be the smart way to go."
That should be a relief for many, though we obviously have to wait until further details are revealed in due course. Besides, there's this other multiplayer mode CDPR is working on, which would be a more natural place for microtransactions anyway.
Cyberpunk 2077 is out April 16 on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.