As one of the most anticipated games of the year (and probably even the decade), Cyberpunk 2077 has a lot riding on it. CD Projekt RED’s track record has given the masses the confidence that their next game is going to touch new heights, while all that they’ve shown from the game so far has also been encouraging.
Of course, The Witcher 3 was an incredibly successful game for CDPR, not just in terms of reception, but sales as well– so should we expect a similar performance from Cyberpunk 2077 as well, if not better? Industry analyst Michael Pachter certainly believes so.
Speaking to GamingBolt in a recent interview, Pachter said that Cyberpunk 2077’s sales at launch are going to be dependent on its critical reception, before adding that strong reception is more or less guaranteed, which means so, too, are strong sales. According to Pachter, the game will manage to sell 15 million units in its first year.
“It’s really hard to tell,” Pachter said. “It’s also coming out in November, so I say it probably sells around 15 million. Could it sell 20 million? Sure. 12 million? Sure. But 15 million seems right. If it gets like a 99 on Metacritic, then it could sell 30 million. But if it gets 90, it can sell 15 million. And it won’t get an 80, it will be a great game.”
Speaking about the critical reception he’s expecting for Cyberpunk 2077 not long from now, Pachter said that the game will likely end up at around 92 on Metacritic.
“The difference between a 90 and a 97 is these really tiny nuances that game critics focus on,” he said. “I could see Cyberpunk get a 97, but right now I would say 92 is the likely Metacritic average, and that it sells 15 million.”
Cyberpunk 2077 launches for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia on November 19. It recently went gold, so there should be no more delays. A Night City Wire episode will be going live soon with new gameplay details.
Our full interview with Michael Pachter will be live soon, so stay tuned for that.
