Proactive Investors - Polish video game studio CD Projekt Red’s co-chief executive Adam Badowski has confirmed that the next entry into The Witcher franchise will enter production later this year.
Speaking to Reuters, Badowski said the studio is hoping to have around 400 people working on the game, going by codename Polaris, “by the middle of the year”.
CD Projekt Red (LON:0LX1) first confirmed the existence of the sequel to the 2015 blockbuster hit Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in October 2022.
However, the Warsaw-listed studio has since been laser focused on its other big-ticket franchise, Cyberpunk 2077.
Cyberpunk 2077’s launch at the end of December 2020 was a minor disaster for the studio, after it was released in an unfinished, buggy state, forcing the studio to offer refunds soon after launch.
The venerated studio’s reputation took a major hit as a result.
Shareholders even initiated a class-action lawsuit against CD Projekt Red after the company’s share price took a beating following the launch. The studio settled for US$1.85 million.
Despite the poor debut, Cyberpunk 2077 was a financial success, and after years of patches and content upgrades, has garnered widespread acclaim among gamers and critics.
CD Projekt Red’s share price, however, remains 77% lower than what it was before Cyberpunk 2077’s launch, even though the group’s financial position appears strong.
In the last quarter ending 30 September 2023, operating profits increased 23% year on year to €61.4 million (£52.6 million), while diluted earnings per share increased from €0.45 to €0.63.
These results came amid the launch of the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty expansion pack.