CD Projekt RED has released a series of announcements for five new projects, including five new Witcher games, a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, and a game set in an original series.
The prospect of a new Witcher trilogy is very exciting, and CD Projekt RED's six-year timeline to release three separate Witcher games is ambitious, and that's before we even consider a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel or new IP. However, since the Polish video game developer uses some disturbing keywords for its new Witcher games, it can be hard to figure out what's going on. Here's the breakdown.
"Polaris" is the codename of the upcoming Witcher game. Currently in pre-production, Polaris is, as far as we know, The Witcher 4, heralding the start of a second Witcher saga. While we don't yet have codenames for the two planned Polaris sequels, CD Projekt RED is committed to releasing them at a later date. Then we have Canis Majoris. This is an indie game developed by a third-party studio made up of developers who have worked on the Witcher series before. Finally, we have Sirius, which is meant to be a sea change from previous titles. Developed by The Molasses Flood, this is intended to use multiplayer to complete a single player campaign "with missions and a story".
Here's a rundown of the announcements and their codenames:
- Orion: The next full Cyberpunk game, in development at CD Projekt RED.
- Polar Star: The first game in a new Witcher trilogy in pre-production at CD Projekt RED.
- Canis Major: An independent Witcher game from an external studio.
- Sirio: A story-based game from a small studio with multiplayer elements.
- Hader: A new series, set in an original universe, created by CD Projekt RED.
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For Witcher fans, the implications of these ambitious announcements are huge. We've already seen CD Projekt RED plunge into expanding the universe of their Witcher games. The developer illustrated that the vast and expansive fantasy setting is ripe for exploration with the Witcher Gwent card game and its standalone spin-offs.
These aren't throwaway games, either: Gwent: Rogue Mage is an excellent Witcher game in its own right. If CD Projekt RED plays its cards right, the breadth of opportunity within the Witcher setup may well outweigh the danger of Witcher-based oversaturation.
It will also be fascinating to see where these new Witcher projects go with the gameplay and storytelling. The Sirius Project seems to deviate drastically from the traditional Witcher formula. The emphasis on multiplayer could provide a refreshing change of pace for fans of the series. While we don't know exactly what form this will take yet, the idea of fighting dark fantasy monsters with a group of friends certainly has appeal. Although EA's Monster Hunter-Like Wild Hearts may send CD Projekt RED to the post.
However, despite two of the five announced Witcher titles being developed by an "external studio" and The Molasses Flood rather than CD Projekt RED proper, it's fair to say that all of these developers will have their work cut out for them. It's no secret that crunch culture was a serious problem during the development of Cyberpunk 2077 and we shouldn't ignore the Witcher 4 warning signs.
Hopefully, by dividing the workload, CD Projekt RED can avoid the delays and critical conditions that plagued The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, but the studio hasn't done much to show that it's changed since December 2020. As deadlines draw near and three Witcher games, a Cyberpunk sequel and a new IP are on the slate, will the studio be able to resist trying to hit release dates by throwing their staff into the meat grinder?
I'm afraid we're headed for a repeat of the Cyberpunk 2077 debacle, where CD Projekt RED promises more than it can deliver, and in doing so could hurt its own employees. Nobody wins when game developers oversell. Release dates and fair treatment of workers are likely to slip in this type of environment.