According to an extensive report compiled by stockwatch.pk – a reputed Polish stock information website, they’ve come to the theory that Cyberpunk 2077 Release Date could be set for a Q4 2019 release date since it worked out so well for Red Dead Redemption 2. According to a couple of Reddit users, there seems to be an inclination for the studio to pursue Single Player games after giving some time to Gwent and Gwent Thronebreaker.
Cyberpunk 2077 Release Date Speculated by Analysts – Realistic or A Shot In The Dark?
In the original document posted by stockwatch, they talk about two aspects: (Translated by dr4kun)
- The focus of CD Projekt Red on Gwent and Thronebreaker followed by a 33% decline in the stock of the company but this was normal as the industry was also in a slump at a general range of 20%. Sales for Gwent were met with much disappointment.
- The new CCG has not met the expectations of CDPR with forecasts for downloads lowered to 0.5 million per year from the original goal of 1 million per year with regard to Gwent.
- Coming to Gwent Thronebreaker, there is once again a decline in sales and failure to meet expectations. Forecasts for the game have been lowered to 200k copies to be sold in Q4 2018 from 500k copies, and the same figure follows it to 200k per year in 2019 with annual sales of 1 million per year.
- CDPR has seen the massive success of single player games at the recent Video Game Awards through God of War and Red Dead Redemption, mainly influenced by the latter. Q4 of the year is always a pivotal time to sell games as its the Holiday season and people are eager to shop for themselves and others. They also took note of God of War and all the accompanying accolades to see that single player games are still a popular space in gaming. After the tremendous success of The Witcher trilogy, they would be foolish to not return to the genre.
- Stockwatch also evaluated CDPR’s stock and changed their stock status from Neutral Purchase with regard to the game company. This helps indicate a degree of trust between the analyst and the game company as this can bolster the stock value to as high as 38% or more very rapidly.
Holiday Season 2019 – The Best Time For Cyberpunk 2077?
Continuing in the same Reddit thread, dra4kun talks about a paragraph in the document which stands out and demonstrates why Q4 2019 is the most favorable time for CDPR to release Cyberpunk 2077:
Cyberpunk 2077 vs RDR2: We’re keeping to the estimation of a debut in Q4 of 2019, with sales of 19 million copies in Q4 alone, and income of 1.9 billion PLN (about 525 million USD). During a conference call, the Board has confirmed that quality remains the absolute highest priority for CD Projekt, and Cyberpunk 2077 will be no less elaborate and polished than RDR2. For comparison, the sales of RDR2 (gross) was 725 million USD within the first three days after it shipped, 15 million copies within the first eight days, and 17 million copies within the first twelve days (data from Take Two). The game was released only on PS4 and Xbox One consoles. With that in mind, our forecasts for CP2077 seem very reserved – remember the game will be simultaneously both on the consoles [PS4 and XBO] and PC. We also believe that the world of Cyberpunk / sci-fi should be more popular among gamers than the Wild West.
The report makes some points that standout considering the level of marketing and hype for both games are almost on the same level. There is a significant market presence for Cyberpunk 2077 as there was for Red Dead Redemption 2 leading to its release. The other advantage that CDPR has is adding the PC platform to their roster which allows for access to millions more in sales, while also targeting the current-gen consoles.
Q4 2019 is also an ideal time for releasing games due to the Holiday and shopping season being in full-swing. With popular consumer sales events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Boxing Day, and other major shopping events around the globe are happening, consumers are ecstatic to spend on gifts on themselves and loved ones for the end of the year.
The report does make a lot of sense and considering 2019 is the last possible year for the current-gen consoles. 2020 is anticipated to be the year of the PS5 and the next-gen Xbox console(s). Whether CDPR has plans on bringing Cyberpunk to those platforms, is not yet confirmed but it is known that the studio plans on bringing Cyberpunk 2077 to the current platforms.
What are your thoughts on the report? Let us know in the comments section below.