Highlights

  • Cyberpunk 2077's recent success with the Phantom Liberty DLC has revived the game's reputation and placed it in a position reflective of its initial hype.
  • The success of Cyberpunk 2077 now threatens the status of CD Projekt Red's flagship franchise, The Witcher, which risks eventually being overshadowed by Cyberpunk's growing popularity.
  • CD Projekt Red now faces the challenge of juggling two massive franchises, managing expectations and hype for both Cyberpunk and The Witcher, with the former posing a serious threat to the future of the latter.

It is no secret that Cyberpunk 2077 initially fell victim to its own anticipation. Originally being announced all the way back in 2012, fans had been waiting a very long time for a title that simply did not deliver on many of its promises when it eventually released in 2020. The launch of the title is widely considered to be one of the most damaging in video gaming history, but the popularity surrounding the IP still made it possible for CD Projekt Red to make a comeback.

This was achieved with the recent launch of Cyberpunk 2077'sPhantom Liberty DLC, which is set to be the only large-scale story expansion for the game. With Phantom Liberty releasing alongside a comprehensive update that revamped a lot of Cyberpunk 2077's core mechanics, the IP is finally in a position that is reflective of the hype that surrounded the title to begin with. As a lot of fans are now eagerly looking toward what is next for the IP, the future of CD Projekt Red's The Witcher franchise is now in an unusually difficult position.

RELATED: CDPR Reveals How The Witcher 4 Development Will Differ From Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty Success May Impact The Witcher's Future

Cyberpunk 2077 male V next to the first The Witcher 4 Polaris A New Sage Begins promo

The Witcher was the franchise that put CD Projekt Red on the map as a development studio, finding its gaming roots in 2007. Inspired by the books of the same name by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher has gone on to encompass the following media adaptations:

  • Three mainline video games and a remake, plus an upcoming fourth mainline entry.
  • Eight spin-off releases, including the popular card game, Gwent.
  • A popular Netflix adaptation TV show, which recently announced its fourth season.

While The Witcher was long thought of as the flagship IP of CD Projekt Red, the recent success and popularity of Cyberpunk 2077 is threatening to claim this top spot. Like The Witcher, Cyberpunk has also received its own Netflix adaptation, with the animated Cyberpunk Edgerunners receiving more critical acclaim than the live-action Witcher show.

The current state of Cyberpunk has essentially made its high-profile bad launch a thing of the past, with fans already eagerly discussing where the franchise will go next over the coming years. A lot of this newfound success can be attributed to the September launch of Phantom Liberty, which came with huge sales accomplishments and an explosion of popularity for the franchise as a whole.

CD Projekt Red Now Has to Juggle Two Massive Franchises

Cyberpunk has overshadowed The Witcher over the past few years, with this trend only being likely to continue now that the former has attained a more positive overall reputation. This could cause some issues for the next upcoming projects for The Witcher, with The Witcher 4 being officially announced in March 2022. While The Witcher will always have a plentiful community of dedicated fans, any news of future Cyberpunk projects is likely to take away a lot of the steam that upcoming The Witcher releases would otherwise have.

Of course, this is a fairly positive problem for CD Projekt Red to have, with two of their IPs now closely competing against eachother in the world of AAA releases. Going forward, Projekt Red will have to manage the expectations and hype surrounding these two giants, with the recent success of Cyberpunk otherwise being a serious threat to The Witcher's future.