CDPR Leadership Doesn't Think the World is Past the Cyberpunk Launch

Have you guys ever heard about that quote about unfinished games versus late ones? Very original, I know, but it looks like the specter of a poorly released game is still looming over Polish developer CD Projekt Red despite what most would consider a redemption arc.

Speaking to Edge's Knowledge, as reported by Games Radar+, CDPR co-CEO Michał Nowakowski spoke candidly about the company's institutional trauma following the release of Cyberpunk 2077 back in December 2020.

Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the most highly anticipated games ever, with levels of hype that are only now being surpassed with GTA 6 on the horizon, but the open-world RPG's protracted development cycle suffered from toxic crunch, multiple delays, and a disastrous launch that nuked CDPR's reputation built on the back of The Witcher series.

After putting that chapter to bed, Nowakowski believes his studio has yet to redeem itself from that failure, but it will get the perfect chance to do so with its next project.

The Witcher 4 is More Than Just a Sequel for CDPR

If you were to look at the post-launch journey of Cyberpunk 2077, you would think the team behind it would be happy enough. Today, the game (and its DLC) is regarded as one of the best open-world RPGs ever made. Positive Steam reviews make up about 90% of all of them, performance issues have been largely addressed, and Night City feels alive in ways very few RPGs can manage.

At the same time, it's easy to understand the nervousness exhibited by Michał Nowakowski, who remains convinced that the studio has "lost the faith of some people indefinitely, and that's a fair thing."

The ability to maintain a game after its release is one thing, especially with such a colossal amount of community testing and feedback, but launching a new title is inherently riskier since even closed betas are never truly representative of the wider audience.

Last year, Battlefield 6 and ARC Raiders managed to stick the landing thanks in large part to massive open beta sessions, but while that kind of stress test of infrastructure and balance is great for a multiplayer title, it translates terribly to a single-player, narrative-driven game where you can't just spoil half the story for everyone ahead of launch.

CDPR's concern with getting it right the first time is particularly relevant when we account for the business model expected of The Witcher 4. Since its official announcement, the studio has made it clear that its next game will not have the post-launch depth of its predecessors, so if the base game somehow can't hack it, don't expect a DLC to swoop in and save the day.

Nowakowski and his team have ambitious plans to release multiple new The Witcher games in quick succession. The Cyberpunk 2077 launch has taught them how not to do things, while the post-release drive provided valuable lessons on how to make up with the community.

Six years later, we are here hoping that The Witcher 4 won't have to go through such a cycle, both for the playerbase but also the developers' sake. Ciri deserves a story that is on the right path from the start, fans deserve to enjoy it without having to wait for multiple major patches, and the 513 employees working on the project could benefit from getting 8 hours of sleep every now and then.

The Witcher 4 does not have a fixed release window yet, but it is expected to come out for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.