Cyberpunk 2077 Cost CDPR Founders $1 Billion
The founders of CD Projekt RED are reeling from the botched release of Cyberpunk 2077 as refunds continue to roll out. CD Projekt RED shares plunged by a third over the past week, causing the founders to lose $1 billion of their wealth as a result. Marcin Iwinski, Adam Kicinski, Piotr Nielubowicz, and Michal Kicinski all seem to be taking a personal hit due to the Cyberpunk 2077 backlash. Cyberpunk 2077 is available right now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Google Stadia, and PC, with the PlayStation version being taken off the PS Store recently.
The three CD Projekt RED executives being specifically affected by the share price of the company are Marcin Iwinski, Adam Kicinski, and Piotr Nielubowicz, as well as the major owner of the company, Michal Kicinski. These executives have joined the ranks of the wealthiest Poland residents since the release of The Witcher 3, but it looks like Cyberpunk 2077 is going to continue taking a chunk out of their wealth. According to estimates, the founders of CDPR have already lost $1 billion and continue to lose money as Cyberpunk 2077 continues to get refunded.
“There is now a huge scar on the reputation of both the studio and its management,” said BOS Bank SA analyst Tomasz Rodak. “In only a couple of days, CD Projekt fell from the most adored studio to the most hated one. Restoring trust is not impossible, but would need much time and effort.” While CD Projekt RED has come out to apologize for the botched launch of Cyberpunk 2077, it looks like gamers continue to refund the game on various platforms, with Microsoft most recently opening up refunds for the latest CDPR game.
How will CD Projekt RED recover from this hit? Let us know in the comments below!