Microsoft expands its refund system for Cyberpunk 2077

If you purchased Cyberpunk 2077 digitally on the Microsoft Store, you can get a full refund. This was already true on Xbox, but it didn’t apply to all situations. If you played the game for more than 2 hours, the refund system likely would have denied your request. But Microsoft is lifting those restrictions for CD Projekt Red’s futuristic open-world adventure. Best Buy is also expanding refunds for open copies of Cyberpunk 2077 through December 21.

On Twitter, the Xbox Support account offered up the details of the refund:

Cyberpunk 2077: To ensure that every player can get the experience they expect on Xbox, we will be expanding our existing refund policy to offer full refunds to anyone who purchased Cyberpunk 2077 digitally from the Microsoft Store, until further notice. https://t.co/04TcniwVzy

— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) December 18, 2020

Unlike Sony, which removed the game from its PlayStation Store, Microsoft is continuing to sell Cyberpunk 2077 on the Microsoft Store. The difference is likely that Sony is building a bespoke refund system that only applies to Cyberpunk. CD Projekt Red also directed ire at Sony by telling players the PlayStation Store would provide refunds even before a system was in place. This led to many players complaining about Sony’s store policies on social media. And it’s likely that Sony holds CD Projekt Red responsible for drawing it into its mess.

For CD Projekt Red’s part, it says it plans to continue working on improving the game on Xbox and PlayStation. It also says it’s working to get the game back on the PlayStation Store. It also said consumers can still buy a physical version of Cyberpunk 2077 for PlayStation 4.

Now, the studio is in a situation where it must dig Cyberpunk 2077 and its reputation out of a hole. I wrote about CDPR trying to drag Sony, Microsoft, and the media down with it, and CDPR will have to deal with those choices for years. That’s not going to end when (and if) the game returns to PS4.