Callum Smith
 

The developer of Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt RED, has been deemed transphobic because of an in-game advert starring a transgender model.

CD Projekt RED’s Cyberpunk 2077 promises to be an amazing game with “next level” gameplay and an overwhelming amount of choices, but the Polish studio has lately been scrutinised by the Twitter community for a “deeply transphobic” in-game advertisement.

Following the Keanu Reeves reveal that saved a pretty lacklustre E3 2019, CD Projekt RED released a number of gorgeous screenshots for their upcoming epic.

Unfortunately, one of these screenshots sent Twitter into a meltdown because of it apparently being “transphobic”.

CD Projekt RED explains “transphobic” Cyberpunk 2077 advertisement

Speaking to Polygon, the artist of the controversial in-game ad, Kasia Redesiuk, explained why a transgender model was used for the in-game advert.

“Personally, for me, this person is sexy,” Redesiuk said. “I like how this person looks. However, this model is used — their beautiful body is used — for corporate reasons. They are displayed there just as a thing, and that’s the terrible part of it.”

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Redesiuk proceeded to say that the advert was designed to feel jarring and overly aggressive because “Cyberpunk 2077 is a dystopian future where megacorporations dictate everything,” and she further proclaimed that “hypersexualization is apparent everywhere, and in our ads there are many examples of hypersexualized women, hypersexualized men, and hypersexualized people in between.”

The artist’s rationale is extremely persuasive, logical, and loyal to the game’s themes, but a number of mobile judges on the court of Twitter wasn’t having any of it.

Twitter court judges CD Projekt RED transphobic for Cyberpunk 2077 advertisement

Some members of the Twitter community proclaimed that they will not be supporting Cyberpunk 2077 because of the developer’s “transphobic” history.

While some users simply stated that the advert isn’t appropriate because of its wordplay and visible genitalia, others lambasted CD Projekt RED for making a mockery of the trans community through gender assumption jokes.

One person stated that Keanu Reeves isn’t enough to save the game, meanwhile another user theorised that the Matrix star’s reveal was a tactful ploy to restore faith “after last year’s PR disaster.”

It’d be wrong to portray everyone on Twitter as being outraged as there were a number of responses that stated vocal individuals don’t represent an entire community.

And others noted that CD Projekt RED aren’t transphobic because of two jokes, and that the offended mob is simply overreacting.

The outrage over Cyberpunk 2077‘s in-game advertisement is an example of how influencers and a certain demographic want politics in their games but not really. CD Projekt RED has explained the rationale behind the advert, yet it’s still not good enough for a specific group of people despite the fact there will also be hypersexualised men and women.

For my eyes alone, there’s nothing wrong with the advertisement as the wording has a thematic purpose, and the model genuinely looks interesting and sexy. It makes me excited for what the other in-game ads will look like in this cyberpunk world that actually has layers and personality.

Cyberpunk 2077 launches April 16, 2020, for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

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