Polish game maker CD Projekt was hit with a class action claiming that the Warsaw-based company lied about the unfinished state of the game to protect its share price.
The lawsuit, filed on Thursday in the United States District Court in central California by the Rosen Law Firm of New York, criticizes CD Projekt for its recently launched Cyberpunk 2077.
The hit game – featuring Hollywood star Keanu Reeves in a prominent role – had a disastrous release, with players and analysts reporting that the software is virtually impossible to play for many with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox Series X consoles. current generation.
CD Projekt acted with “reckless disregard for the truth” in publicizing their game, failing to inform investors and customers that it would not be fully completed and playable for many players until at least February, Rosen’s lawyers said in a statement.
The problems were reportedly so severe and pervasive that Sony was forced to remove it from its PlayStation Store, while Xbox maker Microsoft offered a refund.
“[Investors] I would not have bought the company’s bonds at the artificially inflated prices they bought, or in any way ”, if they had known about the game’s bug status, the suit says.
CD Projekt earlier this month launched an apology to players for allowing them to “make a more informed decision” about their $ 60 purchase.
The game’s troubled launch has caused CD Projekt’s stock to drop 40 percent since early December, when reports on the game’s seemingly unfinished state began making noise a week before its launch.
CD Projekt said this week that it sold 13 million copies of Cyberpunk 2077 between December 10 and 20 – down from the 16.4 million units analysts predicted, while demand for video games skyrocketed.