CD Projekt Red, known for titles like The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077, plans to release major games more frequently. This move comes as the company aims to maintain a steady flow of new content and improve its release schedule.
Aiming for Steady Releases
During a recent quarterly earnings call, CD Projekt Red’s joint CEO, Michał Nowakowski, highlighted their experience with managing multiple projects. He mentioned that while working on the Cyberpunk 2077 DLC, Phantom Liberty, the company also developed Polaris, showcasing their capability to handle several large projects at once.
Currently, CD Projekt Red has several projects in the pipeline. These include Cyberpunk 2, developed in Boston, and Polaris, being worked on in Europe. Additionally, the team is involved in Project Sirius with The Molasses Flood, and a remake of The Witcher 1 in collaboration with Canis Majoris.
CD Projekt Red has expanded its development teams to support this ambitious schedule. As of last month, 407 developers are working on Polaris, the first entry in a new Witcher trilogy. The company aims to release all three games in this trilogy within six years.
Meanwhile, 56 employees are focused on the Cyberpunk sequel, codenamed Orion, and 39 are working on the Witcher spin-off, Project Sirius. Another team of 20 is developing CD Projekt’s first original IP, codenamed Hadar, with 13 engaged in other projects.
Balancing Quality and Quantity
While CD Projekt Red is pushing for more frequent releases, the challenge will be maintaining the quality fans expect. The company learned valuable lessons from the mixed reception of Cyberpunk 2077, emphasizing the importance of not over-promising and ensuring robust development processes.
CD Projekt Red’s strategy to increase its release cadence aims to keep fans engaged with a steady stream of new content. Only time will tell if this approach will pay off in the long run.
