After the release of the "Phantom Liberty" expansion and another patch, the troubled open-world RPG "Cyberpunk 2077" will be re-released as Game of the Year Edition, CD Projekt CEO Adam Kiciński told investors during a recent conference call. As reported by Polish news site Stockwatch (opens in new tab) and discovered by Insider Gaming (opens in new tab), Cyberpunk 2077 GOTY Edition is scheduled for release in 2023.

"This is the natural order of things," Kisinski said (via Google Translate). The same is true of The Witcher 3, which, after two expansions, was finally released as Game of the Year Edition and has been on the market ever since. The same is expected this time around. It's obvious." [Calling the re-release a "Game of the Year" edition made sense in the days when "Half-Life" was repackaged with a few extras and a sticker on the front of the box indicating that it had won Game of the Year from "over 40 publications," but recently It's been a long time since the name has meant much, given that such mediocre titles as "Dead Island," "Far Cry 6," and the "Two Worlds" series' "Oblivion" have all won GOTY editions. It has been a long time.

However, "Cyberpunk 2077" has been generously reevaluated by many since its disastrous release. Thanks to lower expectations and discounted prices, Steam user ratings have risen. More recently, the 1.6 update and increased interest thanks to the well-received Netflix animated series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners have helped sales soar, and CD Projekt posted its best third quarter in company history.

"It's much easier to build an even more positive message on top of positive sentiment," Kisinski told shareholders.

Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty expansion, a "spy thriller" set in the new district of Night City, will feature new characters, but Johnny Silverhand will return, as Keanu Reeves confirmed during the live stream. Sasha Grey will also appear as a radio DJ. After that, "Cyberpunk 2077" will be followed by a full sequel, but CD Projekt will probably take its time with this sequel.