CD Projekt profits take a hit as Cyberpunk 2077 remains delisted on PlayStation

CD Projekt has now shared the results for the first quarter of its 2021 year and, seemingly thanks to the launch of Cyberpunk 2077, the Polish company reports both a year-over-year uptick in revenue and a decrease in profits.

The three month period ending March 31, 2021 marks the first full quarter with Cyberpunk 2077 available for purchase, but it appears that impact of the game's launch is still being dampened by the fact that Sony has yet to approve Cyberpunk 2077 for digital sale on PlayStation consoles.

While CD Projekt reported a slight increase in revenue for the quarter--PLN 197.6 million (~$54.1 million) compared to PLN 192.9 million (~$52.8 million) the year prior--net profit notably fell by PLN 59 million (~$16.1 million) year-over-year to PLN 32.5 million ($8.9 million). Roughly 60 percent of CD Projekt's sales in the first quarter came from Cyberpunk, and most Cyberpunk 2077 sales came from digital channels on PC.

Still, Cyberpunk remains absent from a major platform and even when it returns CD Projekt doesn't expect to see the same positive impact they would've if the game had been purchasable (and playable) for the months following its first launch.

CD Projekt CFO Pitor Nielubowicz commented on different elements of the Sony and Cyberpunk situation throughout the company's Q1 conference call. Part of those comments included Nielubowicz echoing earlier statements that Cyberpunk's return to the PlayStation Store "has to remain at the discretion of PlayStation and, of course, ourselves."

"We cannot go into the details of where we are with that," continues Nielubowicz. "But there is a process, we're in the middle of that process and this conversation is happening. That's as much as we can say. The decision will be announced when it's ready to be announced."

CD Projekt execs don't directly attribute any downward shifts in profit directly to Cyberpunk 2077, but Nielubowicz notes that, until the PlayStation status changes, "we will have a more difficult situation than we would love to have" and adds that "one of the leading marketplaces for us is not available."

CD Projekt has released the first of many bug-fixing and performance-improving updates since Cyberpunk was pulled from sale, but the game still remains absent from the PlayStation store. And while its return is likely inevitable at some point, CD Projekt doesn't believe in the slightest that the relaunch will have as much of an impact as a new game debut.

CD Projekt SVP Michal Nowakowski does add that any sales are an improvement over no sales of course, but the team isn't planning a big (or expensive) marketing push once it reappears.

"In terms of bringing [Cyberpunk 2077] back to the previous level, that's a pretty tough question because the game left the store on the 18th of December, and we're pretty much in June. So honestly speaking, I mean, it would be unheard of to go back to the level of sales from the month of the launch, 6 months post."

"I think that's as much as I should go in the details here," he continues. "But it would be unrealistic to assume that we're going to go back to the December level of sales with any kind of marketing really.