‘Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty’ Reveals Big Sales And High Attach Rates

Kick-starting the new year, CDPR has announced the impressive total sales of the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty extension for 2023. More than 5 million units have been sold since the expansion's launch on September 26, accounting for the final quarter of the year. These sales figures, combined with numbers from October, yield a 20% attach rate to the foundational Cyberpunk 2077 game, varying slightly based on the units exceeding 5 million units and the continuing sales of CP2077.

In the gaming industry, it is expected that the DLC attach rate typically fluctuates anywhere between 10% to 33%, with 20% being acknowledged as a successful figure in many instances. However, the remarkable feat in the success of Cyberpunk 2077 is not just hitting these sales figures, but achieving them after a catastrophic launch and maintaining the momentum three years post-launch. This is quite unusual as the first significant DLC/expansion for games is not typically released at this stage, especially for a single-player game, due to dwindling interest.

Looking back, big names like Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, from The Witcher 3, were unveiled within the first year of the game. CDPR did not publicly release official totals or attach rates for these expansions, even though they were highly regarded in the gaming industry. Today, Phantom Liberty takes its rightful place alongside those prestigious expansions and is arguably even better.

Envisioning a different scenario where CDPR successfully launched Cyberpunk 2077 and released early free DLCs followed by the expansion within a year to a year and a half, similar to The Witcher 3's timeline, might have enabled them to execute their original plan. This plan included two expansions along with multiplayer features, which were shelved due to the need to resolve ongoing issues in the subsequent three years.

Currently, we see the go-ahead for a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, although CDPR has stated they've concluded major updates for the game and are focusing on advancing a new Witcher game while also working on the sequel simultaneously. This resurrection story of CDPR and the successful sale of the expansion this far into the game, despite initial setbacks, is nothing short of miraculous.

You can follow my journey on Twitter, Threads, YouTube, and Instagram. My sci-fi novels; the Herokiller series and the Earthborn Trilogy are available for purchase.