Recent quotes from an interview with Mateusz Tomaskiewicz, Cyberpunk 2077 quest director at CD Projekt Red, made the headlines. Talking about the inclusion in the game of real-life religions, Tomaskiewicz apparently said:
“We will not avoid any subject, even if they may offend the sensitivity of some. We are not here to say whether it is good or bad.”
However, the original interview is in Polish, and a mistranslation in English is at the origin of the controversies. In fact, it turned out that Tomaskiewicz has been misquoted. To clarify the situation, CD Projekt Red provided IGN with an official translation of the interview.
What Tomaskiewicz really said:
When questioned if religion will still exist in their first-person RPG, Mateusz Tomaskiewicz responded affirmatively. Real-life religions will be present in many forms since Cyberpunk 2077 world will somehow be based on the real one.
“Yes, and in many forms. As I mentioned, our vision is somehow based on the real world. And religion is a very important part of the latter, society-wise. In our game we’re going to see for example Christianity and its different branches, or religions from the East.”
At this point, the interviewer made the point that the presence of real-life religions in the game may cause controversies and risk to offend someone. Tomaskiewicz replied:
“We do not want to avoid religion as a topic, authenticity of the world is what counts for us. Technically, the situation you mentioned is possible, but this is all about the choices made by the player. We won’t encourage the player to do so. In our quests, which involve religious themes, we make sure there’s no disrespect.”
Religions will be a part of the world, like in reality, and players can choose how to interact with them. However, CD Projekt Red clarified that the quests and storylines of its first-person RPG would avoid offending any religious group.