Cyberpunk 2077 Will Not be Available for Google Stadia at Launch

Despite initial hopes to the contrary, it seems that the Google Stadia version of Cyberpunk 2077 will not be available when the game launches in September.

“Cyberpunk 2077 will be released on 17 September 2020 for the PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4,” reads a statement from developer CD Projekt Red regarding Cyberpunk 2077‘s release and advertising. “By the end of the year, the game will also make its debut on Google Stadia. Further information can be found on the game’s official website and on its Facebook and Twitter profiles.”

At this time, it does not seem that CD Projekt Red has revealed via any channels when they intend to make Cyberpunk 2077 available for Google Stadia (beyond that vague promise of “by the end of the year). That being the case, it’s reasonable to assume further delays could be possible.

Aside from “when,” the other notable unanswered question regarding this story is “why?” While it doesn’t seem that CD Projekt Red had previously committed to a day one Google Stadia release for Cyberpunk 2077 (at least beyond a doubt), there were many people who assumed that the game would be available via that platform at launch considering that there hasn’t been any indication that there was any kind of delay on that front.

The most likely answer to the “why” question in this instance is some kind of technical hurdle. Google Stadia is still a relatively new platform, and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has resulted in numerous delays across gaming and other entertainment mediums. A possible technical delay just makes sense.

In any case, this is an unfortunate delay for Google Stadia’s developers and the platform’s subscribers. One of the biggest problems with Google Stadia at the moment is that the nature of the cloud gaming service means that it offers a very limited library of titles. Until now, though, its one saving grace on that front has been that many modern titles have been compatible via the service.

Now, though, we see at least once instance of Google Stadia subscribers needing to wait an unspecified amount of time (which could reasonably end up being weeks or months) in order to play one of 2020’s most anticipated games. That’s sure to be a hard sell for many Google Stadia subscribers as well as those who have utilized the service’s free-to-play plan. We’ll just have to see how many people commit to waiting to purchase the game via that platform.