Cyberpunk 2077 release date: UK launch day - and if you can play it on PS5

It was meant to be one of the biggest launch-day games for the next generation of consoles, but Cyberpunk 2077 has once again been delayed by its developer.

CD Projekt Red confirmed that its long-anticipated game has been pushed back, although thankfully only by a relatively short amount of time.

"We've decided to move the release date of Cyberpunk 2077 by 21 days,” the studio said in a statement posted to Twitter.

"Most likely, there are many emotions and questions in your heads, so, first and foremost, please accept our humble apologies."

Here is everything you need to know about it.

When is Cyberpunk 2077 coming out now?

Cyberpunk 2077 has been almost a decade in the making.

It was first announced all the way back in May 2012, but following a teaser trailer six months later, not much was known about the game, which was due for release on PS4 and Xbox One consoles.

Gamers would get their first proper look at the title over five years later at E3 2018, when a second trailer was revealed, with an extensive gameplay demo shown off to fans a few months later.

The following year in 2019, CD Projekt Red began to shore up a release date, initially earmarking the game for launch on 16 April 2020.

This was first delayed to 17 September, then 19 November – the same date as the release of Sony’s PlayStation 5 console… Which brings us to where we are today.

When fans first heard the news of the game’s delay, they would have been forgiven for expecting a lengthy wait to get their hands on Cyberpunk 2077.

Thankfully, CD Projekt Red has delayed the game by ‘only’ three weeks, to 10 December.

Why has Cyberpunk been delayed?

Despite the game having gone ‘gold’ (ie reaching a state of completion whereby it is ready to be burned to discs and sent out to retail), the developer said it was struggling to ship the large number of different versions of the game it needs to have ready this year.

Being a generational transition year for gaming, Cyberpunk is releasing on both current generation and next gen hardware, with slightly different versions of the game needed to cater to the different technical specifications of each machine.

The game is technically releasing across nine different platforms – a much higher number than a developer can normally expect to be working towards – including Google’s Stadia streaming tech, and PC.

“The biggest challenge for us right now is shipping the game on current-gen, next-gen, and PC at the same time, which requires us to prepare and test nine versions of it,” the company said.

“We need to make sure everything works well and every version runs smoothly. We’re aware it might seem unrealistic when someone says 21 days can make any difference in such a massive and complex game, but they really do.”

What is Cyberpunk 2077?

Cyberpunk 2077 is an action role-playing game, set in the expansive Night City, as futuristic as it is dystopian.

Fans are so excited for the game because it’s being developed by CD Projekt Red, the Polish video game developer, publisher and distributor based in Warsaw responsible for 2015’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, one of the most critically acclaimed games in recent years.

In Cyberpunk 2077, players assume the first-person perspective of a customisable mercenary known as V, who can acquire skills in hacking and machinery, an arsenal of ranged weapons, and options for melee combat.

The game is set to feature an expansive and complex narrative that will branch off in different directions depending on the player’s actions.

Your choices all lead to a variety of different endings, and "game over" messages only appear at the point of death; if a quest is failed, the game moves on all the same.

Where is the best place to pre-order it?

At the time of writing, the cheapest place we could find to pre-order Cyberpunk 2077 was Base.com, who had both the PlayStation and Xbox versions of the game listed for £44.85.

Players on PC should check out SimplyGames.com, who had that version of the game available for £39.85.

When can I play it?

Cyberpunk 2077 will be released on Thursday 10 December 2020.

It will be available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Google Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S and X consoles.