Summary
- CD Projekt Red has assembled a large development team of 260 people for the new Witcher game, surpassing the size of the team behind Witcher 3.
- Despite the studio's past troubles with Cyberpunk 2077, gamers are cautiously optimistic about the new Witcher games.
- CDPR plans to release all three Witcher titles within a six-year period and hopes that the success of these games will help redeem the studio from its previous mistakes.
CD Projekt Red has disclosed the number of developers working on the new Witcher game, codenamed Polaris. Polaris is slated to be the first title to kick off a brand-new Witcher saga trilogy and has been in pre-production since May 2022.
Considered by many gamers to be one of the most enjoyable RPGs of all time, Witcher 3 has not only received praise from critics but has also proved to be a remarkable commercial success for CD Projekt Red, as Witcher 3 has managed to sell more than 50 million units since its release. CDPR is now looking to capitalize on that success by recreating the fascinating magic of The Witcher universe in another thrilling and action-packed game trilogy, which will begin with the much-anticipated launch of Polaris.
As part of the company's latest quarterly financial results, CD Projekt Red has announced that the Polaris development team is currently made up of a team of 260 people. At the moment, the company is dedicating significant efforts to developing the highly anticipated Phantom Liberty expansion, which will bring significant changes to Cyberpunk 2077. That being said, Adam Kicinski, the CEO of CDPR, has promised that after Phantom Liberty’s release, a significant portion of the developers currently working on the Cyberpunk expansion will be transferred to Polaris.
It is encouraging to know that CD Projekt Red has managed to assemble such a large and committed development team for the next mainline Witcher game. For comparison, the size of the much-acclaimed Witcher 3 development team closed in at 240 people. The studio's choice to assemble an even larger crew for Polaris demonstrates its desire to not only match the standards set by its predecessor but even exceed them. While the success of a game is not only dependent on the size of its development team, a bigger team can bring a more diverse expertise to the table that is better prepared to deal with the numerous obstacles that may occur throughout the development process.
Nevertheless, gamers on the internet remain cautiously positive about the new Witcher games, as their excitement is tempered by CD Projekt Red’s tumultuous past. The broken release of Cyberpunk 2077 exposed the studio to some ardent criticism, as many players were disappointed by the game's various technical and performance issues, deflating their hype and enthusiasm for the neo-noir-themed title. Even though the studio attempted to re-establish confidence with the fans by releasing several updates designed to improve Cyberpunk, many gamers are still wary and expect the new Witcher release to absolve the studio from some of its past mistakes. CDPR hopes to deliver all three of its upcoming Witcher titles within a six-year window.
The Witcher 4 is currently in development.
Source: VGC