Announced over eight years ago, Cyberpunk 2077 has become a running gag in the gaming industry for constant delays. The gritty and futuristic game first gained recognition with its announcement trailer back in 2013 and has been little more than a myth since. After what seems like an eternity, the game has finally been released for the general public.
While the wait may be over, the memes that CD Projekt Red’s latest title inspired live on, even after December 10th has come and gone. The meme catalog has only expanded after what appears to be a tumultuous console launch from the acclaimed developer.
9 Frustration Intensifies
Di Permatteo Bruno adequately highlights the frustration associated with the infamous Cyberpunk newsletters. These statements from CD Projekt Red were used to inform fans of an imminent delay. With so many delays under its belt, Cyberpunk 2077 fans would see the yellow text box and know what is coming without reading it. After being delayed several times over the course of 2020, it’s understandable that fans’ patience had reached a boiling point. Thankfully, these notifications are nothing but a memory after the game finally hits storefronts.
8 Rickrolled
This legendary troll from nikifrd emulates the same format of the infamous company newsletter, changing the text to catch those following the game on Reddit by surprise. Just a few days before launch this meme reverberated throughout social media. Replacing a delay message with the lyrics to Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley, those who stuck around to see the announcement realized it was just a joke, but not before stirring up some frustration and panic online. A glance lets readers know that they’ve been Rickrolled, and many only realized this after the image had been shared thousands of times.
7 Enough Is Enough
Cyberpunk 2077 was in development for almost a decade, and when you don’t know the release date, it can be a bit agonizing to wait for such an ambitious game. A constant joke online became that the game would actually drop in the year 2077.
TheYearIs2077 shares their frustration with the 2077 joke being used endlessly over the course of this eight-year development cycle. Internal screaming ensues for some each time this phrase is uttered. For those you know who have waited for this game, avoid the previous phrase, as it may drive them insane.
6 Past Generation Pain
The console release of Cyberpunk 2077 has infuriated some consumers, and rightfully so. The final product is almost an entirely different game outside of the PC release. Starecat.com highlights the issues many Ps4 and Xbox One owners are experiencing with their product, often seeing ridiculously low-resolution character models and textures that are similar to early 2000s level games. While the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 upscale the game somewhat, numerous issues are being reported there as well. This port to past-generation consoles is sure to go down as one of the most infamous console releases of 2020.
5 Bumping To Johnny Silverhand
Those purchasing the PC version of Cyberpunk 2077 are fairing far better than those on the Xbox and PlayStation consoles. With most of the purchases coming from PC, it’s nice to know that some fans are getting to enjoy this dystopian world and atmosphere. LeoSenior highlights the love the community has for Johnny Silverhand, one of the main characters in the game. Played by Keanu Reeves, this character has become synonymous with the Cyberpunk meme culture thank to his legendary casting reveal on the e3 2019 stage.
4 I’m Not Going Anywhere
The release of an expansive RPG like Cyberpunk can be overwhelming. With multiple branching story paths, ways to play, and customizable character creation, players can create an entirely new life with ease. MemeSoft plans on doing nothing else this weekend but explores the streets of Night City. Many others will be joining them, and when a game offers over 100 hours of content in a rich open world, it’s not hard to see why. Cyberpunk promises to redefine the way that open-world games are portrayed (at least on PC.)
3 Made You Look
Now that the Cyberpunk is out in the wild, community members can laugh about the rough ride they had to release day. A meme created by sloth_admin shares the trauma associated with the infamous yellow background.
Even now, players get a feeling of terror looking at the text box. While the meme is comical now, it came from a place of pain and irritation earlier in the game’s development cycle. Cyberpunk’s player base is sure to remember the struggle of chasing a release date that keeps crawling away.
When customization options were shared for Cyberpunk 2077, the last thing most people worried about was genital sliders. And yet, CD Projekt Red included a way for players to tweak private part size with this peculiar inclusion. Facebook’s PCMR shares a meme that comically pokes fun at the feature no one really asked to be included in this futuristic RPG. Though it may have never been asked for, it certainly grabbed the attention of the collective of gamers across the world. CD Projekt Red is nothing if not innovative, even if innovation comes in ways some would never think to ask for.
2 We Can’t Keep Doing This
While some internally erupted at the mention of a 2077 release date for Cyberpunk, others were unable to contain their rage. LeoSenior lets out the inner frustration in the meme begging others to stop rehashing this 2077 joke. It was initially funny for most of the players and community members, but after several years of this one joke finding its way back into conversations, it has overstayed its welcome. Thankfully, the jokes can finally conclude as the game makes its way into the hands of eager consumers the world over.
1 Goodbye, Steam
When Cyberpunk 2077 was released on steam late on December 9th, the website was flooded with hordes of eager gamers trying to download one of the year’s most anticipated games. The influx of traffic was so aggressive that Steam itself collapsed under the pressure. VenusVolta shares a meme that illustrates how the servers on steam must have felt when hundreds of thousands of people all tried to download the same game at once. Steam was able to reestablish stability within a few hours, but the panic players and servers felt won’t be forgotten.
NEXT: Cyberpunk Hits 1 Million Concurrent Players On Steam
Cyberpunk 2077 is available for PC on GOG.COM, Steam and Epic, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Stadia from December 10, 2020. When you buy Cyberpunk 2077 on GOG.COM, 100% of your money goes to CD PROJEKT Group and supports their future projects.
These articles are posted in affiliation with GOG.COM. TheGamer received compensation from GOG Sp. z o.o. for affiliating these articles with their brand.
