CD Projekt Red is juggling three major projects right now: The Witcher 4, Cyberpunk 2, and a mysterious new IP codenamed Project Hadar that the studio hopes will become its next flagship franchise.
Details about Hadar remain sparse, but a job posting for an engineering director offers the first real hint at what the game might be. The ad describes it as an "immersive" and "emotional, open-world experience" set in the Hadar world. Beyond that, nearly everything is a question mark. Genre, setting, whether it's single-player only or includes multiplayer, the scope of the narrative, its visual direction, whether it's fantasy or sci-fi or something else entirely. None of it has been revealed.
The franchise ambitions, though, are unmistakable. CD Projekt is clearly positioning Hadar as the third pillar of its gaming empire, sitting alongside The Witcher and Cyberpunk. Both of those series have proven massively successful, so the studio is aiming high. This would be the company's first original IP after nearly two decades spent developing games based on existing intellectual property.
The timeline for Hadar's arrival, however, remains foggy. Work began in late 2021, but the project is only now in the early pre-development phase. That typically signals years of work remain before players see anything playable. The current team is lean, too: just 24 people, compared to 513 working on The Witcher 4, 163 on Cyberpunk 2, and 83 on Sirius, the multiplayer Witcher spinoff.
Fitting Hadar into CD Projekt's release calendar could prove challenging. The studio has committed to launching three Witcher games over six years, a schedule that leaves little room for diversions. Add Cyberpunk 2 to that roadmap, plus ongoing support for The Witcher 3 with new expansions, and Hadar risks taking a backseat for the foreseeable future.
The financial reality underscores that reality. With most of the studio's senior talent allocated to the Witcher saga and Cyberpunk's sequel, Project Hadar is a long-term bet, not an imminent release. CD Projekt appears content to let it cook quietly while the studio focuses on delivering the franchises fans are already waiting for.
Author Emily Chen: "A 24-person team doesn't build tentpole franchises in a hurry, and CD Projekt's silence on Hadar suggests they're in no rush to show their hand."
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