Visual Comparisons Show How Far Cyberpunk 2077 Has Come in the Last Two Years

Cyberpunk 2077 has faced a number of delays as developer CD Projekt RED looks to optimize the massively ambitious project, polishing its look, gameplay, and unprecedented open world before it finally makes its way into fans’ hands. There’s an enormous amount of pressure on the team to deliver after the success of the The Witcher 3, so they want to make sure they get it right the first time. To show how much those delays are improving the game, Twitter user SoSnake posted a few screenshot comparisons of old trailers and gameplay with more recently released videos from the Night City Wire live streams.

SoSnake’s post swipes the screenshot comparisons from a June YouTube video by Cycu1 (Adam Prusinowski), who has posted numerous graphics comparisons of games older trailers and betas with the retail releases. We were able to track down Cycu1’s video thanks to the watermarks still present in the screengrabs. Most noticeable in the video is lighting and texture improvements that give them game a lot more depth and detail. You can check out the full Cyberpunk 2077 comparison video from Prusinowski below:

The only image from SoSnake that doesn’t appear in the video is the Johnny Silverhand comparisons, which seems to show an enormous improvement, but fails to capture the exact same scene/angle/moment in the same way that the video does.

Despite not being the originator of the comparisons, SoSnake’s Twitter post started gaining traction when Cyberpunk 2077’s lead level designer Paweł Sasko retweeted the comparisons, saying “It’s still work in progress—until it’s released. Squeezing every minute we have to improve Cyberpunk 2077.” Of course, concerns have also been raised around crunch at the studio and what these delays mean for the developers being squeezed to make these improvements.

Many fans have noticed that recent Night City Wire live streams have stopped including the “Work in Progress – Does not represent the final look of the game” watermark that’s been present on on pretty much all Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay shown in the last two years, indicating CD Projekt RED is getting to a place where they are more comfortable with what they are showing as a final full representation of the game’s visual aesthetic. The developer isn’t quite happy with everything just yet though. They’ve reported they are still working on making the melee feel just right.

Cyberpunk 2077 will release on November 19th for the PS4, PC, and Xbox One. All who purchase a current-gen copy of the RPG will receive a next-gen upgrade for no extra cost. You can preorder Cyberpunk 2077 for just $49.99 right now.