Marcus Stewart
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CD Projekt Red is one of the biggest developers in Europe, but the studio behind The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077 has no interest in being acquired. That comes from a new interview with the studio’s CEO, Adam Kiciński, who discusses acquisition possibilities while providing small updates on the studio’s litany of upcoming projects.
Speaking to the Polish outlet Parkiet, Kiciński was asked about rumors regarding the studio being a target of a takeover. He states via translation, “We are not interested in being included in any larger entity. We have worked our whole lives to get to the position we have now. And we believe that in a few years we will be even bigger and stronger. We have ambitious plans and we are passionate about what we do. We value independence.”
In turn, Kiciński also states CD Projekt Red is currently uninterested in buying another studio purely for the sake of having it to, in his words, “consolidate their financial results.” In October 2021, the studio acquired Molasses Flood, the developer of The Flame in the Flood and Drake Hollow. That studio is currently working on a game set in the Witcher universe codenamed “Sirius.”
Kicińsk also provides small updates on its portfolio of upcoming Witcher and Cyberpunk games as well as its new IP. He states that work on the next mainline Witcher game, codenamed “Polaris,” is in “full swing” and has around 330 employees, which will rise to 400 by later this year.
“Orion,” the codename for the next Cyberpunk game, has been in the conceptual stage for some time, and the development team is still being assembled. It will primarily be made from CD Projekt Red’s Boston studio and eventually expand to Vancouver, with support from the main Polish headquarters.
Kicińsk then briefly touches on project “Hadar,” which is a new IP that is currently in the conceptual phase. When asked what Hadar is, Kicińsk simply says, “I assure you that it will be an interesting pop culture concept, fitting both The Witcher and Cyberpunk.”
CD Projekt Red will spend 2024 chipping away at these games and is riding a wave of positive momentum following the successful launch of Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty expansion and other big updates the game received. Be sure to read the full interview to learn more about the studio’s financial situation, its broader media strategy outside of video games, and its thoughts on the launch of Phantom Liberty.