Science fiction is nothing without commentary on the modern world, but the developers of Cyberpunk 2077 are now apologizing for some commentary appearing in the Ukrainian version of the game that was maybe a little too close to the modern world.
CD Projekt Red, the game’s developer, claims that anti-Russia content was added to the game without its permission, according to a report from PC Gamer. Graffiti and dialogue relating to Russia’s war in Ukraine was included in a recent 2.0 update for Cyberpunk 2077, which included a localized version for Ukrainian players in their native tongue. The update, however, also included character dialogue that featured a recently-coined Ukrainian slur for Russians as well as a reference to Russia’s demand Snake Island be surrendered. There is also reportedly at least one piece of graffiti in the game which depicts the symbol for the Crimean Tatars ethnic group over a rough map of the country.
“The Ukrainian localization of Cyberpunk 2077 contains several remarks that could offend some Russian players,” CD Projekt Red wrote in a machine-translated statement on Telegram. “These remarks were not written by CD Projekt Red employees and do not represent our views. We are working to fix them and replace them in the next update. We apologize for this situation and are taking steps to ensure it does not happen again.”
The localization of the game’s update was handled by the Ukrainian company SBT Localization, according to Engadget. Meanwhile, the Poland-based CD Projekt Red has been openly critical of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with the video game developer tweeting in February 2022 that the war “left us shocked and outraged.” PC Gamer reported at the time that the company was planning on donating 1 million Polish Zloty (approximately $US243,000 in 2022) to Ukraine’s humanitarian efforts.
Cyberpunk 2077 was released in 2020 to mixed reviews, with many critics citing the game’s bugs and mechanics as being a major issue. The launch of the game was so disastrous that Sony even pulled it from the Playstation store and offered refunds which led to CD Projekt Red facing a class action lawsuit. However, the game’s new update as well as the Phantom Liberty expansion might have been enough to save it’s legacy. How all this will be received in Russia remains an open question. But in the West, players are likely more focused on cool hacking gimmicks and shooting out the windows of their cars.