Nearly six years after Cyberpunk 2077's catastrophic launch torpedoed its reputation, CD Projekt Red is still searching for full vindication. Co-CEO Michał Nowakowski acknowledged in a recent interview that the studio has not yet completed what he calls a "full redemption arc" following the futuristic RPG's disastrous debut.
The 2077 disaster remains raw. Nowakowski described the launch as "heartbreaking" for both the team and players who had waited years for the game. What arrived was a broken product: game-breaking bugs, visual glitches, frequent crashes. Console versions on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were especially problematic. Despite strong initial sales that recouped development and marketing costs quickly, the damage to CD Projekt Red's credibility was immediate and severe.
"I'm convinced that we lost the faith of some people indefinitely, and that's a fair thing," Nowakowski said. That acknowledgment signals the studio understands the scale of its misstep.
Since then, Cyberpunk 2077 has stabilized dramatically. The game has now sold at least 35 million copies and runs far more smoothly, but Nowakowski recognizes the hard truth: some players will never return. Still, he sees The Witcher 4 as an opportunity to prove the studio has learned and evolved.
"I do hope we will be able to make it back, if not with The Witcher 4, then with whatever comes next," he said.
The studio itself has changed in the aftermath. Nowakowski notes that CD Projekt Red is now led by "seasoned, battle-hardened veterans" capable of handling different challenges. That experience shows in how the company now approaches future projects.
The developer's vision moving forward is deliberate and measured. Rather than chase the blockbuster-per-year treadmill that burns out studios and franchises, CD Projekt Red is working from a "rough 10-year rolling plan." Nowakowski stressed the goal is not to flood the market with CDPR games or amass a sprawling portfolio of intellectual properties. The focus remains narrow: make genuinely compelling games, not maximize output.
That philosophy is already on display in what's in the pipeline. A surprise expansion for The Witcher 3 titled Songs of the Past is scheduled for 2027. Cyberpunk 2 entered pre-production last year. A Witcher remake is also under development. Meanwhile, The Witcher 4 sits in active production with no announced release date.
It's a full slate, but one built on a painful lesson. CD Projekt Red learned that shipping a game before it's ready costs far more in trust than any rushed deadline is worth.
Author Emily Chen: "The question isn't whether Witcher 4 will be good, it's whether players who felt burned will give CD Projekt Red another chance to prove it."
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