The Ukrainian translation of CD Projekt RED’s Cyberpunk 2077 includes a killer of anti-Russian dialogue and textures. In response to backlash from Russian gamers, CD Projekt has apologised for the offensive inclusions, although they didn’t put them there.
Introduced in the game’s new 2.0 update, a full Ukrainian translation of Cyberpunk 2077 is now available. However, the team behind the Ukrainian translation took the opportunity to include a number of anti-Russian statements, likely due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces.
Via RPS, one translated line reads: “Couldn't all this rusnia bite it out in the Badlands?" The term “rusnia” is a derogatory term for Russian people in Ukraine. However, this wasn’t the only issue that Russian players had with the recent update.
The Cyberpunk 2077 Ukrainian translation includes unique graphics for logos, signs and graffiti. In one instance, fans noticed that the game features the Ukrainian Coat of Arms over a map of Crimea, which Russian gamers took issue with.
Another instance of anti-Russian speech included the line “Go f*ck yourself in the same direction as the ship did.” This line is a reference to Ukraine’s response to Russian demands that the country surrenders at Snake Island.
Via PC Gamer, CD Projekt RED apologised on Russian Telegram and VK social media pages for the anti-Russian speech in the new game. The developer explained that the added dialogue was added without permission by the translation team.
“The Ukrainian localization of Cyberpunk 2077 contains several remarks that could offend some Russian players," CDPR told fans. "These remarks were not written by CD Projekt Red employees and do not represent our views. We are working to fix them and replace them in the next update. We apologize for this situation and are taking steps to ensure it does not happen again."
Despite the apology and explanation from CDPR, many Russian fans are unhappy with the developer allowing the statements to be added into the game. The developer has been criticised for “Russiophobia” with many likening the studio to Nazi Germany.
Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 is available right now on PC, Xbox and PlayStation. The game’s Phantom Liberty expansion releases today.