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CD Projekt Red shifts the way it makes games after Cyberpunk 2077’s shaky launch

Giovanni Colantonio
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Developer CD Projekt Red is overhauling its approach to making games following Cyberpunk 2077‘s rough launch. The studio will make several changes to its structure that will allow it to work on multiple games at once.

Up until now, the developer has primarily focused on creating one AAA game at a time. It plans to fundamentally change that model in 2022 by increasing staffing so that it can work on two major releases simultaneously. The studio outlined its plans for what it calls Red 2.0 in a video presentation.

CD PROJEKT Group: Strategy Update | Aktualizacja Strategii [EN/PL]

“We want to be sure that we can work with two global brands at the same time while ensuring top quality of our products,” says CD Projekt Red Chief Technology Officer Paweł Zawodny. “… we want to set up versatile teams which combine various specializations and competencies. These teams will be further assisted by a cross-projects group of experts, who can contribute to key aspects of development. All these changes aim to enable us to work on multiple AAA games and expansions in parallel starting in 2022.”

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The studio says its current focus for the rest of 2021 is launching more Cyberpunk 2077 patches and its delayed next-gen update. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is still scheduled for a next-gen update this year, as is mobile AR game The Witcher: Monster Slayer.

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CD Projekt Red plans to make steps toward reducing employee burnout in the future via increased mental health support. The change seems to be a way of addressing the crunch crisis that plagued the studio during Cyberpunk 2077’s development.

Other notable shifts include changes to when the studio will reveal its projects. The studio says it will start talking about its games closer to launch, rather than revealing them years in advance. It does still plan to tease games that are in early stages, however.

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Giovanni Colantonio
Giovanni Colantonio
Section Editor, Gaming
Giovanni is a writer and video producer focusing on happenings in the video game industry. He has contributed stories to…
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