After Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red announced players who were having trouble running the game on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles could get refunds, Sony was denying every request that came through its customer service channels. And from the sound of it, that’s because CD Projekt Red offered refunds it had no authority or special treatment to allow.
In a conference call held earlier today, CD Projekt Red Board Member Michał Nowakowski explained that Cyberpunk 2077 wasn’t going to be getting some kind of special treatment in regards to PlayStation or Xbox’s refund policies. So despite its offer to issue refunds, it ultimately is a hollow gesture the company can’t enforce when it comes to console manufacturers.
“One has to understand: Microsoft and Sony have refund policies for every product that is released digitally on their storefronts,” he said. “Despite several articles I’ve seen that things are being set up just for us, it’s actually not true – these policies are in place and have always been in place; they’re not offered specifically for us. Anyone who has purchased any title on the PlayStation network or the Microsoft storefront can ask for a refund, and if it’s made within certain boundaries, usually related to time, usage and so on, can ask for that refund. Our procedure here with Microsoft and Sony is not different than with any other title released on any of those storefronts. I want to state that clearly, as there seem to be certain misconceptions.”
So if you or someone you know is trying to get a refund and are being met with resistance from Sony or Microsoft, it turns out that they are just some poor customer service workers holding true to the refund policy that has been laid out, and CD Projekt Red’s offer for refunds doesn’t outrule those. While CD Projekt Red shouldn’t have told fans to seek a refund they wouldn’t be allowed to have, these platform holders’ refund policies also needs a re-examination. In the case of Sony, several PlayStation 4 users were told they were being denied because they already downloaded the game, as if anyone would know whether or not Cyberpunk 2077 was going to run on their system prior to downloading it and playing it. Situations like this could have been avoided if reviewers had access to the game on consoles prior to launch, but CD Projekt Red specifically sent out PC copies, and also didn’t allow reviewers to use their own footage in video reviews.
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Despite the seemingly black and white nature of these refund policies, some disgruntled players have been having better luck by calling customer services lines as opposed to using their online alternatives. For more on the ways you can get a refund for Cyberpunk 2077 on consoles, check out Kotaku’s write-up on the matter.
