Five years ago, CD Projekt Red was considered by many to have one of the brightest futures of any RPG studio in the business. The Witcher 3 had been a huge success, and fans were hoping Cyberpunk 2077 would deliver the RPG genre into the next generation. The developer also had a uniquely good reputation behind the scenes, with many fans considering the studio more consumer-friendly than some of its triple-A competitors.
That reputation has been tarnished by the chaotic release of Cyberpunk 2077, despite the studio's efforts at reconciliation. Nonetheless, it appears that CD Projekt Red is still sticking by its major IPs – Cyberpunk and The Witcher – when concocting its plans for the future. Considering the current position of both franchises, though, that may not be the safe bet it seems.
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CD Projekt Red is in an unsurprisingly precarious position, even months after the release of Cyberpunk 2077. Though the game sold well, its bug-filled launch and inability to live up to seven years of hype damaged the company's once-stellar reputation significantly. The PlayStation Store removed the game and issued refunds, an investor sued the company, and the Polish government threatened to fine the studio 10% of its income if the game's glitches weren't fixed. To make matters worse, more and more reports of employees working crunch hours during development began to surface, despite the studio's promise that no crunch time would be required to finish the game.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, on the other hand, was a critical and commercial success when it hit the shelves back in 2015, and continues to be held up as the studios' best work by many fans. However, according to CD Projekt Red Geralt's story is now over, and any return to the IP will follow another character.
It's common for large RPG studios to hold onto two major IPs. Bethesda has relied on fantasy RPG series The Elder Scrolls and sci-fi series Fallout for years. BioWare has relied on fantasy RPG series Dragon Age and sci-fi series Mass Effect for over a decade as well, with an attempt to branch out into multiplayer RPGs with Anthem falling flat. At this tumultuous time for CD Projekt Red, it's understandable that the studio would consider Cyberpunk and The Witcher its most valuable assets going forward.
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It seems unlikely that the Cyberpunk IP will ever completely recover from Cyberpunk 2077's disastrous launch. Although The Witcher IP is still strong and has been made stronger by The Witcher Netflix show, returning to the IP could be a far riskier move now that Geralt appears to be out of the picture, the character around which the story throughout the books, games, and show has been based so far. For many fans, a Witcher game without Geralt couldn't hope to live up to CD Projekt Red's original Witcher trilogy. Even if it is a success, it's certainly a greater risk than the series has taken in the past.
Both of CD Projekt Red's major IPs have unclear futures. The hesitancy to branch out into new IPs also makes sense, as Anthem being a flop for BioWare is an example of risks not paying off. However, it was also an attempt at a multiplayer game and is more comparable to Bethesda's difficulty with Fallout 76 than new single-player RPG IPs like Starfield.
It may be a gamble, but CD Projekt Red should consider taking on a new IP if it wants to avoid falling out of the top tier of RPG developers over the next few years. Obsidian has shown how RPG projects like The Outer Worlds can be successful despite being smaller games and new IPs, while also finding success with even smaller projects like the survival game Grounded. If CD Projekt Red really wants to play it safe, that may be the model to follow. Otherwise, its focus on Cyberpunk and The Witcher could risk undermining the value of both.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions currently in development.