Games

Cyberpunk 2077 Hits 35 Million Sales As Switch 2 Version Keeps Night City Alive

1 December 2025
Nintendo Switch 2
9 min.
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Cyberpunk 2077 Hits 35 Million Sales As Switch 2 Version Keeps Night City Alive

Summary:

Certain games fade away once the launch spotlight moves on, but Cyberpunk 2077 has done the exact opposite. After a messy start on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, where bugs and poor performance overshadowed the huge ambitions behind Night City, the game has quietly rebuilt its reputation over several years of work. Today we are looking at a role playing epic that has passed 35 million copies sold worldwide and turned into CD Projekt Red’s primary moneymaker, powered by strong word of mouth around the Phantom Liberty expansion and a polished experience on modern hardware. PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, high end PCs and a fully featured Ultimate Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 now carry a version that finally feels close to what players expected back in 2020. We explore how this turnaround happened, why players keep returning to Night City, what makes the Switch 2 release special, and how this milestone sets the stage for whatever comes next in the Cyberpunk universe.

Cyberpunk 2077’s 35 million milestone and redemption story

Cyberpunk 2077 passing 35 million copies sold worldwide is more than just a big round number, it is a clear signal that the story around this game has changed. At launch, the conversation focused on refunds, lawsuits and viral clips of broken missions, not on the design of Night City or the strength of the writing. Fast forward to late 2025 and the same game has become CD Projekt Red’s main source of income, beating The Witcher 3 in the race to long term sales over an equivalent period. That kind of reversal does not happen by accident. It comes from years of patching, a steady flow of performance improvements, the decision to focus on stronger versions for newer consoles and PC, and the arrival of a major expansion that reframed the whole experience. When a title that once felt like a warning now reads like a case study in long haul support, you know something unusual has happened.

Remembering the rough PS4 and Xbox One launch

To really appreciate how far Cyberpunk 2077 has come, you have to remember where it started. On PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the game famously struggled to keep up with its own ambition. Framerate drops, texture pop in and mission breaking bugs turned dramatic story beats into unintentional slapstick. Social media filled with glitch compilations, while Sony pulled the game from the PlayStation Store for a time. Plenty of players bounced off within the first few hours and swore they would not come back. Underneath that chaos there was always a bold open world role playing game trying to breathe, packed with branching quests, memorable side characters and rich environmental detail. The problem was that old hardware just could not deliver a stable version of Night City, and the disappointment felt sharper because expectations had been sky high after years of trailers and hype.

Phantom Liberty and Update 2.0 reshape Night City

The turning point arrived when CD Projekt Red stopped trying to patch every platform equally and instead leaned into a major rethink built around current gen hardware. Update 2.0 and the Phantom Liberty expansion landed as a kind of soft relaunch, overhauling systems like police response, cyberware and perks while adding an entire new district in Dogtown. Suddenly players had a reason to return that felt more exciting than just “now it crashes less often”. The expansion’s spy thriller story, fresh characters and new ending route gave veterans a different emotional angle on V’s journey, while new players could jump in and enjoy a far cleaner experience from the start. When critics and fans started saying that Phantom Liberty represented the game at its best, the wider mood around Cyberpunk shifted from frustration to cautious respect, and then to genuine enthusiasm as word spread.

Why current gen versions feel so much better to play

Play Cyberpunk 2077 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X or a solid gaming PC today and it almost feels like a different project to the one people remember from 2020. Higher and more stable framerates make Night City feel alive rather than fragile, while improved streaming and faster storage reduce that old “waiting for the world to load in” feeling as you drive or sprint through busy streets. Visual options let you prioritize performance or resolution, and ray tracing support on capable PCs adds yet another layer of neon soaked atmosphere. Combat benefits from more responsive controls, smarter enemy behavior and tighter perk trees, which makes builds feel more purposeful. Crucially, the reduced crash rates and polished quest logic mean that emotional moments can now land without being undercut by technical problems. It is still the same basic story, but the delivery finally matches the ambition that was always there on paper.

The Nintendo Switch 2 Ultimate Edition finds a new audience

The arrival of Cyberpunk 2077 on Nintendo Switch 2 as an Ultimate Edition is one of the clearest signs that the game has completed its turnaround. Putting a famously demanding open world on a hybrid handheld would have sounded like fantasy back when the original Switch was the current machine. Switch 2 changes that equation with stronger CPU and GPU power, more memory and faster storage, and CD Projekt Red has used that headroom to bring both the base game and Phantom Liberty together in a single package. For many Nintendo players this is the first chance to step into V’s boots at all, so everything from character creation to the main questline and the Dogtown storyline arrives as one unified experience. Being able to explore Night City on a large TV at home and then continue a stealth run or a dialogue heavy mission on the go gives the game a flexible rhythm that suits long playthroughs.

How 35 million sales stack up against other RPG giants

Whenever a number like 35 million gets mentioned, it invites comparison. The Witcher 3, another CD Projekt Red hit, sits higher in total lifetime sales, but Cyberpunk 2077 has reportedly reached its milestone faster across a similar post launch window. That is impressive when you consider the baggage it carried at release. Many role playing games never come close to this scale, even if they launch in perfect shape, so the idea that a troubled release has grown into a long term powerhouse says a lot about both the strength of the design and the patience of the audience. It also shows how multi platform support can stretch a game’s life. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series players, PC users, the growing Mac audience, and now Nintendo Switch 2 owners all add slices to the total. Add in subscription boosts from services like PlayStation Plus and you have a recipe for steady, compound growth rather than a one and done spike.

What this success means for CD Projekt Red’s future projects

For CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk 2077’s sales performance does more than keep the lights on, it funds the next wave of projects. The studio has already confirmed work on a full Cyberpunk sequel alongside a new entry in The Witcher saga, and the financial results show that it now has breathing room to invest heavily without rushing. That matters because the company will always carry the memory of Cyberpunk’s rocky start, both internally and in the eyes of players. Delivering long term support, owning mistakes and slowly winning back trust has given the studio a second chance. If it can carry the lessons from Night City into its next games, particularly around scope, platform targets and honest communication, future launches should feel less chaotic. In that sense, the 35 million milestone is not just a victory lap, it is a reminder of what is at stake when a game of this scale goes out into the world.

Why players keep coming back to Night City in 2025

Numbers and platform lists tell one part of the story, but they do not fully explain why people are still talking about Cyberpunk 2077 years after release. The other part lives in the streets, alleys and high rises of Night City itself. Once the technical barriers dropped away, more players could appreciate how layered this world really is. Characters like Judy, Panam, River and Kerry feel like real people with messy lives rather than simple quest givers, and many side stories hit just as hard as the main plot. The sense of place is also powerful, with neighborhoods that each have their own mood, from the crowded markets of Watson to the corporate glitz of City Center. Add in distinct build paths, from stealthy netrunner to brutal solo bruiser, and you get a game that rewards repeat playthroughs. Every time you come back you notice some detail you missed, or tackle a familiar situation in a new way.

Friendly tips for new players starting Cyberpunk 2077 today

If you are thinking about starting Cyberpunk 2077 now that it has reached this new milestone, there are a few simple tips that can make the early hours smoother. First, pick a platform that offers the updated experience, such as PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PC or Nintendo Switch 2 with the Ultimate Edition. Second, do not stress too much over your starting Lifepath choice, since it mainly affects the prologue and some dialogue options later rather than locking you out of big parts of the game. Third, invest in a couple of core attributes and perk trees instead of spreading points thinly across everything, because focused builds feel much more satisfying. Finally, give yourself permission to slow down. Some of the best moments in Night City happen when you stop chasing main quest markers and instead explore side gigs, fixer jobs and random calls that pop up while you are just wandering around. Let the city breathe a little and it will surprise you.

Looking ahead to the Cyberpunk universe beyond 2077

With Cyberpunk 2077 now firmly established as a success story, the natural question becomes “what comes next”. CD Projekt Red has already signaled that a full sequel is in the works, built on the lessons of the first game and the technology investments made along the way. There is no release window yet, which is probably a good thing given how much pressure will sit on that project. In the meantime, the current game still has plenty of life left in it. New players on Switch 2 and other platforms will keep discovering Night City for the first time, while returning players may chase alternate endings, experiment with new builds or simply enjoy the upgraded versions after playing on older systems. The universe also stretches beyond games into tabletop roots, anime adaptations and possible future collaborations. In other words, Cyberpunk 2077’s 35 million milestone does not feel like the closing chapter, it feels more like a solid foundation for a long running future.

Conclusion

Cyberpunk 2077’s journey from shaky launch to 35 million copies sold is one of the strangest and most interesting arcs in modern gaming. What began as a cautionary tale about ambition, pressure and old hardware limits has turned into an example of how long term support, a strong expansion and smart platform strategy can slowly rebuild trust. The polished versions on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PC and Mac, along with the Ultimate Edition on Nintendo Switch 2, let the strengths of Night City finally shine without constant technical distractions. Players now talk more about favorite characters, questlines and builds than about bugs or refunds, which is probably all the developers ever wanted. As Cyberpunk moves toward its next chapter and CD Projekt Red looks to future projects, this milestone stands as proof that even a troubled launch does not have to define a game forever if the team sticks with it and the audience is willing to give it another shot.

FAQs
  • Is Cyberpunk 2077 worth starting for the first time in 2025?
    • Yes, starting Cyberpunk 2077 today feels very different to playing it at launch. The big updates and Phantom Liberty expansion have smoothed out systems, reduced bugs and reshaped progression, so new players get a far more stable and engaging experience. If you enjoy rich role playing games with strong stories and a dense urban setting, it is absolutely worth a fresh look now.
  • How does the Nintendo Switch 2 version compare to other platforms?
    • The Nintendo Switch 2 Ultimate Edition aims to deliver the full experience, including Phantom Liberty, while taking advantage of the newer hardware compared to the original Switch. You will not match a high end PC in raw fidelity, but you gain the flexibility of handheld and docked play along with a carefully tuned version of Night City. For players who value portability, that trade off can be very attractive.
  • Do I need Phantom Liberty, or can I just stick with the base game?
    • The base game tells a complete story on its own, so you do not strictly need Phantom Liberty to enjoy Cyberpunk 2077. That said, the expansion adds a new district, a fresh storyline, extra systems and an additional ending route that deepen V’s journey. Many players see it as the best part of the overall experience, so if you like the base game, the expansion is an easy recommendation.
  • Is it still worth playing on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One?
    • The older console versions received patches, but they still sit below the newer platforms in performance and visual quality. If you only have a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, you can technically play, but you should set expectations accordingly. Whenever possible, it is better to use PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PC or Nintendo Switch 2 to get a smoother ride through Night City.
  • Will there be a full sequel to Cyberpunk 2077?
    • CD Projekt Red has confirmed that a new Cyberpunk project is in development as a follow up to Cyberpunk 2077. It is still in an early stage without a public release date, and the studio is using the revenue and lessons from the current game to shape that future. For now, the focus remains on keeping the existing experience strong while slowly building toward that next step.
Sources
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