As you know, Cyberpunk 2077 had a less than stellar launch, described (accurately) by PC Gamer's online editor Fraser Brown as "one of the most high-profile launch flops in video game history," with performance problems so bad that on some consoles it was pulled from stores. It had performance problems so bad that it was removed from store shelves, was infested with more bugs than a cheap motel mattress, and finally had seizures without warning. [Especially with the release of the 2.0 update and the extended version of Phantom Liberty. I have been a bit of a hypochondriac myself, especially with the 2.0 update and the release of the "Phantom Liberty" expansion. I myself have had many mixed feelings about the game, but that doesn't change the fact that 65 hours of my life melted away before my eyes.

According to Pawel Sasko, the game's lead quest designer, in an interview with The Gamer, we may be thankful for that shoddy launch.

In the interview, Sasko discusses his experiences with therapy and self-help throughout his career, which began over 19 years ago: "I believe that when you have scars, you should be proud of them and carry them. There have been many hardships in the past, games I worked on have been cancelled, and then of course there was cyberpunk.

"Phantom Liberty was much better at launch because we completely changed our production style," Sasko adds. That is by no means to say, however, that there were no bugs.

Sasco further credits Cyberpunk 2077's negative reception for giving the team the push it needed: "This would not have been possible if the game's initial reception had not been negative.

I think "Cyberpunk 2077" got the flak it deserved - critically speaking, not in the sense of unreasonable harassment - but I pity the developers in the field who saw their game go down in flames upon entry.

Certainly, there are more physically and mentally demanding jobs than being a video game designer, but the industry also has a long history of harsh workweeks, unpleasant workplace scandals, harassment so dire it required police intervention, and sudden layoffs.

Needless to say, it is frustrating to see something you have worked on for years suddenly disappear into thin air. One can only hope that history does not repeat itself with The Witcher 4.