When Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition was announced earlier today, some PlayStation fans were quick to express disappointment. Why? Well, on PS5, Cyberpunk 2077's expansion, Phantom Liberty, isn't included on the physical version's disc. Instead, you just get a PSN voucher that must be redeemed in order to access the DLC.
It's a kicker for physical media enthusiasts, but it sounds like this is probably down to how Sony operates. According to Digital Foundry's John Linneman, PlayStation policy requires a re-release with on-disc DLC to be registered as a new product. This makes total sense, as when The Witcher 3 was re-released as its Game of the Year Edition, all of its DLC was included on-disc, and it was treated as a separate product on PS4. That's why the GOTY Edition had its own Trophy list, game icon, and PlayStation Store profile.
Okay, so why hasn't CD Projekt Red just done the same thing with Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition? Well, the simple answer is that this process costs time and money. "I think [CDPR] have to recompile a version of the game with the DLC plugged in which means resubmission to Sony. Probably time and money involved they didn’t end up spending," Linneman writes.