CD Projekt Red has announced that it’s working on adding a new epilepsy warning to Cyberpunk 2077, in response to a recent article by Game Informer that raised the issue. The studio says that it’s also working on “a more permanent solution” for the game’s epilepsy issues “as soon as possible.”
Thank you for bringing this up. We’re working on adding a separate warning in the game, aside from the one that exists in the EULA (https://t.co/eXpPn73VSK). Regarding a more permanent solution, Dev team is currently exploring that and will be implementing it as soon as possible. https://t.co/lXFypnSit2
— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) December 8, 2020
CD Projekt Red’s response comes after Game Informer editor Liana Ruppert published a piece cataloging several areas in the upcoming game that could be of concern to players sensitive to epileptic triggers, like flashing patterns or lights. Of particular note is a cutscene of the game’s “braindance” feature, which actually caused Ruppert to experience a serious seizure while playing the game.
Ruppert details that during those braindance sequences, white and red lights flash in a rapid pattern for a few seconds before the screen flickers white. Ruppert explains that this cutscene resembled “the actual device neurologists use in real life to trigger a seizure when they need to trigger one for diagnosis purposes.”
Warning: I’ve been sent hundreds of videos disguised as support that are deliberate flashing to induce photosensitive triggers. If you’re sharing this saying you’re epileptic and receive a video, don’t press play. I’m back to being on my ass.
Be better, please.
— Liana Ruppert (@DirtyEffinHippy) December 8, 2020
Cyberpunk 2077 does already include a “Seizure Warning” detailed in the game’s end-user license agreement. But given that it’s buried deep in a 6,500-plus-word legal document that few, if any players will ever read (even with CD Projekt Red’s helpful explanations), adding another warning that makes the potential risks more accessible is a good thing. Here’s what the current disclosure looks like:
Cyberpunk 2077 may contain flashing lights and images, which may induce epileptic seizures. If you or anyone in your household has an epileptic condition, please consult your doctor before playing Cyberpunk 2077. If you experience dizziness, altered vision, eye or muscle twitches, loss of awareness, disorientation, any involuntary movement, or convulsions while playing, immediately discontinue use and consult your doctor.
With Cyberpunk 2077 two days away from release, it’s not clear if the new epilepsy warning or permanent fixes to solve the game’s epilepsy issues will arrive before launch day, or what form they’ll take when they do arrive.
The Verge has reached out to CD Projekt Red for comment.
