Update (12/9/2020, 7:40 PM) – As promised, CD Projekt Red has implemented a Cyberpunk 2077 epilepsy warning prior to the beginning of the game with a new splash screen. The text reads as follows:
WARNING: RISK OF SEIZURE
In this game you will encounter a variety of visual effects (e.g. flashing lights during braindance sequences) that may provoke seizures or loss of consciousness in a minority of people. If you or someone in your family has ever displayed symptoms of epilepsy in the presence of flashing lights, please consult your physician before playing Cyberpunk 2077. If you or someone you know experiences any of the above symptoms while playing, stop and seek medical attention immediately.
Our original story continues below.
Cyberpunk 2077 epilepsy triggers have reportedly been discovered in the game prior to launch and CD Projekt Red has addressed the issue, laying out a plan for providing an in-game warning along with a more permanent solution in the future.
We're less than two days away from the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 and the lucky few players who have the game in hand have been dissecting the pieces of CD Projekt Red's carefully crafted world. Unfortunately, Game Informer discovered that there was a potential epileptic trigger in the game and CD Projekt Red has acknowledged the issue, ultimately presenting a plan to fix it.
Today also happens to be the day that the Cyberpunk 2077 Official Launch Trailer has debuted, so go ahead and give that a watch if you'd like; bear in mind that there are some brief, bright flashes here and there in the trailer, though, so you may want to avoid it if you have any issues with that.
What is the Reported Cyberpunk 2077 Epilepsy Triggers?
"During my time with Cyberpunk 2077, I suffered one major seizure and felt several moments where I was close to another one," read the PSA from Game Informer Associate Editor Liana Ruppert. "I kept going because I made that decision to, and I feel like that decision helped me sort of slap together a small little guide for players wanting to take part in this game for fear of missing out."
"I suffered one major seizure and felt several moments where I was close to another one." – Liana Ruppert, Associate Editor at Game Informer
Liana Ruppert goes on to explain that she has begun to experience seizures as a result of an injury she sustained while on active duty. Since then, she's had to be more careful with certain games so as not to risk triggering any seizures.
In the case of Cyberpunk 2077, Ruppert highlights certain locations (such as some of the game's clubs and bars) as particularly risky areas, owing to the bright, flashing lights in this location. The "Braindance" feature also happens to feature a lot of flashing graphics and can prove troublesome for epileptics. Throughout the news post, she lays out some things that players can do to mitigate the issue, but CD Projekt Red is promising a more permanent fix.
How CD Projekt Red is Addressing the Problem
CD Projekt Red has acknowledged the Cyberpunk 2077 epilepsy problem in a tweet, thanking Liana Ruppert for raising the issue and detailing how they'll address the problem going forward.
"Thank you for bringing this up," read a tweet on the game's official account. "We’re working on adding a separate warning in the game, aside from the one that exists in the EULA (https://cyberpunk.net/en/user-agreement/). Regarding a more permanent solution, Dev team is currently exploring that and will be implementing it as soon as possible.
A quick glance at the game's User Agreement shows that there is indeed a Seizure Warning contained in the text. Cyberpunk 2077 splits its user agreement into the standard legal language and an in-character description of each section that puts it into layman's terms, so here's what both halves of the EULA say:
3.2 Seizure Warning. 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.
‘Nother warning here, an’ it’s an important one, too! If you or someone you live with suffers from an epileptic condition, talk to your doctor before jackin’ into Cyberpunk 2077.
The Cyberpunk 2077 epilepsy warning shown above — combined with Liana Ruppert's report — makes it clear that anyone who can suffer from seizures triggered by flashing lights should be very careful with this game at launch. Hopefully, CD Projekt Red can get its "more permanent solution" implemented sooner rather than later.
For now, you still have a couple of days to pre-order Cyberpunk 2077 via its official website starting at $59.99 or your regional equivalent; you can also get the physical PS4 version on Amazon for 17% off its retail price.
Disclosure: Amazon works with TechRaptor for affiliate partnership, and TechRaptor earns a small commission off purchases made from some links in this article.
What do you think of how CD Projekt Red is responding to the reported Cyberpunk 2077 epilepsy issue? Have you ever encountered any issues with flashing lights in modern games? Let us know in the comments below!
