CD Projekt Red's single-player games may never have microtransactions, but the studio isn't ruling it out for multiplayer projects
"We do not see a place for microtransactions in the case of single-player games"
CD Projekt Red's chief operating officer Piotr Nielubowicz has said that the studio's single-player games may never have microtransactions, but its inclusion in multiplayer projects hasn't been ruled out.
Speaking in a recent interview with Polish website StockWatch (via Insider Gaming and JuiceHead), Nielubowicz reaffirmed that the Cyberpunk 2077 developer has no intention of implementing microtransactions in its single-player titles, although in the case of its multiplayer titles, the idea hasn't been finalized just yet.
"We do not see a place for microtransactions in the case of single-player games," Nielubowicz said. "But we do not rule out that we will use this solution in the future in the case of multiplayer projects."
Back in 2020, former CEO Adam Kicinski explained in a financial earnings call that CD Projekt Red games had a "goal" to "design the monetization in a way that makes people happy spending money" (via Eurogamer).
However, the comment conflicted with the studio's earlier statements stating that Cyberpunk 2077 wouldn't feature microtransactions, which prompted some confusion within the community.
CD Projekt Red later clarified its stance on in-game monetization in response, reaffirming that "Nothing changed".
"Cyberpunk multiplayer/online, which is a separate project, will have some microtransactions, but we said that a year ago already," it wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). "Like always, expect us treating your money with respect."
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Of course, the Cyberpunk 2077 standalone multiplayer project was ultimately cancelled following the rough launch of the single-player game and a strategy update where plans were reconsidered.
CD Projekt Red is currently at work on The Witcher 4, as well as a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, dubbed Orion, which is being designed by the team of developers responsible for Phantom Liberty The developer has also mentioned that it's seriously considering introducing a multiplayer element to the project.
Microtransactions in single-player titles have been a hot topic lately following the recent controversy surrounding Dragon's Dogma 2's downloadable content (DLC), which allows players to purchase in-game items through digital storefronts.
Capcom's decision to implement paid items in its RPG has prompted discussions over their necessity and whether the feature, which is more common for multiplayer titles, could make its way to other AAA titles in the future.