CD Projekt aiming to begin Witcher 4 production by mid-2024

If everything goes according to plan, CD Projekt will start full production on the next mainline Witcher game (currently dubbed Project Polaris) later this year.

Talking to Reuters, CEO Adam Badowski revealed his hopes to have "around 400 people" working on Polaris by the midpoint of 2024. Staff from different teams have gradually shifted focus to it in recent months.

CD Projekt first revealed its plans to continue The Witcher in 2022 with a new trilogy of games. Unlike the original Geralt-led trilogy, this new set of games will be made using Unreal Engine 5.

Beyond Polaris, the studio is also working on a full-on remake for the first Witcher, also running on UE5. It also has a multiplayer spinoff in the works, though it's said to be undergoing "changes" to its framework.

CDP is also working on a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077. Currently codenamed Orion, Badowski said it's still in the concept phase, and that multiplayer elements were being considered.

Though nothing is concrete, it's worth noting the original game would have a multiplayer spinoff of its own. It was later killed to prioritize improving Cyberpunk, according to quest designer Philip Weber.

Around that time, CDPR said its future games would have multiplayer. Should Witcher's multiplayer game get made, it stands to reason Cyberpunk and the studio's original property will also have the mode.

Either way, he stressed that Cyberpunk 2077's launch should hopefully be a one-time experience for the studio. "We believe that in the future we'll avoid a premiere like [that]," he stated.

CD Projekt is looking to grow out its business

Speaking to CDP's future, Badowski said the studio's Boston team would keep growing. The team started in 2022, and he attributed its expansion to Poland's "rather low" hiring due to its wage pressures.

He also said an AI team had been formed, though he assured it would be used as an additive part of development. He called the technology a way to speed up processes, but wouldn't replace human staff.

Last week, a GDC survey revealed 49 percent of developers are using generative AI tools at work. It's mostly used in finance, 51 percent said their companies have specific policies for it.

GenAI is used least in areas like writing and QA, two areas that would be critical for CD Projekt specifically as a narrative-focused RPG studio.