CD Projekt’s newly-revealed The Witcher 3 growth Songs of the Past will assist set the stage for the upcoming The Witcher 4, the developer has recommended.
Whereas telling a standalone story starring Geralt set after the occasions of The Witcher 3, the new journey may even act as a sort-of prologue to CD Projekt’s subsequent large blockbuster, in response to the firm’s joint CEO Michał Nowakowski.
Chatting with buyers, Nowakowski was questioned on how the growth is being positioned in the franchise, why it’s now launching in 2027 (after beforehand being anticipated this 12 months) and whether or not any of CD Projekt’s new trilogy of The Witcher video games may even obtain expansions, as The Witcher 3 has (do not maintain your breath).
“Initially, we actually needed to ship a nice expertise to the followers, a actually cool growth that is going to make individuals joyful that they’ll come again to The Witcher 3 setting,” Nowakowski mentioned, discussing why Songs of the Past was being made.
“In fact, not directly, sure, it’s a reminder [of the franchise for fans]. It’s, in a approach, a prologue, though it is not a prologue in a verbatim approach of [being] a prologue for the precise The Witcher 4. Sure, you may have a look at it because it’s a strategy to preserve sure chatter on The Witcher 3. All of these are negative effects, further negative effects. The core factor for us, from our perspective, is basically delivering a high-quality, enjoyable expertise to the present followers of The Witcher.”
Throughout a livestream yesterday aimed toward The Witcher followers, CD Projekt gave a few additional hints on the growth’s focus, teasing the significance of Geralt’s new third sword — as glimpsed in a current piece of paintings launched to have a good time a springtime pageant. Geralt’s bard buddy Dandelion can be current.
“We had a second the place our plans assumed that Songs of the Past can be launched this 12 months,” Nowakowski mentioned, when questioned why the growth was launching later than anticipated.
“We determined along with the growth crew, that the recreation will probably be launching in 2027, to be trustworthy, to realize the absolute best outcome from the shopper standpoint, which in the finish, frankly talking, is the solely final factor that basically issues.”
CD Projekt’s newest monetary outcomes present the firm reported Q1 income of 191 million PLN ($52.5 million), up year-on-year, and internet revenue of 106 million PLN ($29 million). “These outcomes stem from strong gross sales of our key titles and the income from their inclusion in the subscription catalogues,” mentioned CD Projekt CFO Piotr Nielubowicz.
The corporate at present employs 975 individuals, a headcount that has grown by greater than 40 since February. The overwhelming majority of its workers (now over 500) are engaged on The Witcher 4, whereas 163 persons are assigned to Cyberpunk 2. Round 80 persons are engaged on multiplayer Witcher spinoff Mission Sirius, whereas 24 are constructing the studio’s new IP codenamed Hadar.
There’s nonetheless no phrase on when The Witcher 4 would possibly arrive, however CD Projekt has an especially formidable plan to launch it plus The Witcher 5 and 6 all in a six-year time interval. It is this plan which primarily guidelines out the risk of additional growth content material being made anytime quickly, Nowakowski concluded.
“The plans are fairly formidable,” Nowakowski acknowledged. “It might be tough, to be very trustworthy, for us so as to add an growth to the upcoming trilogy. That is the place we’re right here and now with this specific challenge.”
Individually, CD Projekt additionally celebrated the incontrovertible fact that its Cyberpunk Buying and selling Card Recreation marketing campaign raised $28 million by way of Kickstarter, making it the platform’s most profitable gaming undertaking ever, and the third-largest Kickstarter marketing campaign of all time.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s Information Editor. You’ll be able to attain Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or discover him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social