Witcher dev says Cyberpunk 2077 internal files being held for ransom

Developer CD Projekt Red said today that internal files belonging to the company, including “documents connected to early designs” for role-playing game Cyberpunk 2077, are being held for ransom by “an unidentified individual or individuals” and may be exposed publicly.

“A demand for ransom has been made, saying that should we not comply, the files will be released to the general public,” CD Projekt Red said in a statement released on Twitter. “We will not be giving in to the demands of the individual or individuals that have contacted us, which might eventually lead to the files being published online. The appropriate legal authorities will be informed about the situation.”

The studio, which also produces The Witcher games, says the files taken from CD Projekt Red are old “and largely unrepresentative” of the current version of Cyberpunk 2077, but are apparently sensitive or potentially revealing. It’s not clear how those internal files made their way into the ransomers’ possession; CD Projekt Red doesn’t specify how they leaked. We’ve reached out to the developer for more details.

CD Projekt Red warned its fans and followers that “if you’re looking forward to playing Cyberpunk 2077, it would be best for you to avoid any information not coming directly from CD Projekt Red.

“When the time is right, you will hear about Cyberpunk 2077 from us — officially.”

Fans have been clamoring for new details on Cyberpunk 2077 since the game was announced in 2012. CD Projekt Red studio head Adam Badowski said earlier this year that development on the game was “quite advanced,” with several hundred people currently working on Cyberpunk 2077.