Cyberpunk 2077 is a mess. When it works, it’s a solid role-playing game set in a classic, grimy sci-fi world — but the thing is, it often doesn’t work. Since launch, players on every platform have been sharing videos and images of the game’s ridiculous, frustrating and game-breaking glitches, and last night, these concerns came to a head. Sony Interactive Entertainment pulled Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store and offered refunds to anyone who wanted one.

CD Projekt RED, the studio behind Cyberpunk 2077, didn’t release a statement about the removal until hours later, and it took even longer for them to tweet something to players. In the meantime, CD Projekt RED’s stock dropped by more than 20 percent, a loss of $1.8 billion.

Are there still a few bugs in #Cyberpunk2077 ?

idk, let’s go for a drive (there are no cuts in this video) pic.twitter.com/W6jSsoeBU2

— Richard Lawler (@rjcc) December 10, 2020

It’s hard to overstate how aggressive this move was from Sony. Cyberpunk 2077 is arguably the largest video game launch of the decade, with hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising and development costs behind it. Meanwhile, Sony is fresh off the launch of the PS5 and executives want games on this platform. Cyberpunk 2077 broke player records on Steam and elsewhere, and it’s a massive draw for new and veteran players. Removing it from the PlayStation Store is the nuclear option, and the fact that CD Projekt RED seemed surprised by this move speaks to a serious breakdown in communication between the companies.

But really, CD Projekt RED shouldn’t be too surprised. Early glimpses of Cyberpunk 2077 running on eighth-generation consoles were worrisome, but publicly, the studio brushed off concerns. Just two weeks before the game’s launch, CD Projekt joint-CEO Adam Kacinski told investors that Cyberpunk 2077 ran “surprisingly good” on PS4 and Xbox One. 

Internally, though, it seems clear that CD Projekt RED wasn’t confident in the console version of the game. The studio didn’t provide console copies of the game to reviewers, instead sending out PC versions, and then only to a small handful of outlets.

#cyberpunk2077 @CyberpunkGame noticed a glitch where female penis does not stay in pants in inventory screen. Or is it a feature? ?? pic.twitter.com/1dmlyL6JcI

— ??????Kimmi?????? (@KimmiFoxy) December 10, 2020

Even on PC, Cyberpunk 2077 is hit-or-miss. Reviewers and players have reported serious, game-breaking bugs on every platform, though the issues are most pervasive on PS4 and Xbox One. At best on these consoles, the game looks like a cheap parody of the version that was advertised; and at worst, it simply breaks down.

Four days after launch, CD Projekt RED published an apology to PS4 and Xbox One players, saying, “We should have paid more attention to making it play better on PS4 and Xbox One.” Executives outlined a plan for updates and asked for patience from frustrated fans, but also said players could opt to refund their copies through Sony or Xbox directly.

Two days before Sony delisted Cyberpunk 2077 this week, Kacinski told analysts the following, as transcribed by Business Insider: “After three delays, we were too focused on releasing the game. We underestimated the scale and complexity of the issues. We ignored the signals about the need for additional time to refine the game on the base last-gen consoles. It was the wrong approach and against our business philosophy.”

Cyberpunk 2077 on Old Gen: amen is what it is: shit. Honestly? I’ll wait to play it on PS5 with update at the current consoles. ??
I don’t want to play it in retrocompatibility in castrated version. ??
Luckily, I have games to play. ??#Cyberpunk2077 pic.twitter.com/60WXVofEVR

— ???Ivan Belluccio??? #ACcosplayItalia ?? (@Ivan_Belluccio) December 10, 2020

CD Projekt RED saw the problems with Cyberpunk 2077 on every platform. To address these concerns, it delayed the game three times and implemented crunch, requiring developers to work extra-long hours for a few months at least, even though it had promised to avoid the practice. 

In hindsight, the studio had other, better options. CD Projekt RED could’ve scrapped the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game long ago and adjusted its marketing plans to focus on the necessary power of the next console generation. It could’ve released Cyberpunk 2077 in early access and asked for fan feedback in a welcoming, transparent manner. Instead, executives decided to publish a game that simply didn’t work on certain consoles, and lie about its performance to players and investors.

In response, Sony took the unprecedented step of removing Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store. The game is still available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, though today Microsoft expanded its return policy to offer full refunds to Cyberpunk 2077 players. This is another big blow to CD Projekt RED’s bottom line.

Cyberpunk 2077 was supposed to be the beginning of a new series from a studio with years of experience in building beautiful imaginary worlds, but instead, it’s become a meme. At least one of CD Projekt RED’s promises came true.

Whole game is going to be a meme.

— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) July 2, 2018