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CD Projekt apologise for Cyberpunk 2077 Ukrainian script’s potentially “offensive” references to RussiansBut reaffirm support for Ukraine
But reaffirm support for Ukraine
Image credit:Arsenii Tarasov/CD Projekt
Image credit:Arsenii Tarasov/CD Projekt
In case you missed it, the Ukrainian script and menu localisation currentlyincludes a number of antagonistic references to Russians and to the on-going Russian invasion of Ukraine. One dialogue line refers to a particular bandit group as “rusnia”, and there’s photo mode menu text for a squatting character that translates as “like a Russian”. There’s also lore text that apparently riffs on Ukrainian government rhetoric during the war, and a piece of in-game wallart that alludes to the dispute between Ukraine and Russia over Crimea.
Image credit:Arsenii Tarasov/CD Projekt
“We apologise for the situation and have made steps to avoid situations like that in the future.”
Localisation management team representative Mariia Strilchukhad this to add on Xitter(Grabowski supplied me with an English translation):
“I’d like to clarify re. the corrections to the Ukrainian localization. They refer to the lines where the translation lost its original meaning, including certain references to the Russian-Ukrainian war. Our support to Ukraine remains unchanged, but we prefer to show it through positive actions.”
Reading between the lines, it sounds like CD Projekt won’t necessarily remove every reference to the situation in Ukraine, just the ones “that can be considered offensive” to Russians.
According to Cyberpunk 2077’s credits, the Ukrainian localisation is the work of Kyiv, Ukraine-based SBT Localisation, but it’s not clear whether every last reference to Ukraine and Russia is SBT’s doing. In particular, the wall graffiti referring to Crimea being part of Ukraine, rather than Russia, can surely only be the work of CD Projekt’s own artists. That’s just me speculating, of course.
The Ukrainian localisation was added as part ofCyberpunk 2077’s 2.0 update, which introduced new skilltrees, quests and minigames. The update launched a few days ahead of theCyberpunk 2077: Phantom Libertyexpansion, on sale now, which Graham summarised as “perhaps the best expansion pack ever made”.
