Concerns Grow Over the Future of the Multiplayer Witcher Game

With so many games in the pipeline, it’s easy to overlook Project Sirius, a multiplayer title set in The Witcher universe. However, it appears that development is facing some challenges. Reports indicate that nine team members were let go this week, with another nine reassigned within the company. This comes as part of a broader shift in development strategy.

For those who may not recall, Project Sirius was announced on October 4, 2022, during an investor update. The game is being developed by CD Projekt Red Boston, a studio that emerged from the acquisition of The Molasses Flood, known for titles like the roguelike The Flame in the Flood and the survival action game Drake Hollow.

Adam Kiciński from CD Projekt stated that Project Sirius “will be set in The Witcher universe, but it aims for a much broader audience. Sirius will offer both single-player and multiplayer experiences.” At the time of its announcement, the game was in pre-production with over 60 developers on board.

Unfortunately, the next update came in 2023 when CD Projekt revealed that the project was being restarted from scratch, resulting in the layoff of 29 developers. The company’s CFO, Piotr Nielubowicz, acknowledged the difficulties of re-evaluating a project but emphasized the need for innovation and experimentation, especially with a new design approach from a new studio. He noted, “It’s better to cut costs early – and even restart if needed – than to carry on.”

While there were reports that the project had been progressing well following some changes earlier in the year, these recent layoffs have raised concerns. In May, CD Projekt Red brought on Kwan Perng, a notable developer from Destiny 2, as the lead writer for the game.

Project Sirius was announced alongside Project Polaris, which is set to kick off a new trilogy in The Witcher series, starting with The Witcher 4, revealed at the Game Awards in December 2024. The company aims to release this trilogy over a six-year period, which is quite an ambitious goal.

In addition to these projects, there’s The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past, a DLC expansion scheduled for 2027, and a remake of the original Witcher game. After years of addressing issues with Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red is also working on a sequel called Project Orion. Lastly, there’s Project Hadar, which is a completely new IP still in the early creative stages. With so many projects underway, it’s crucial that Project Sirius doesn’t get lost in the mix.