Those worried that CD Projekt Red might be done working on The Witcher franchise may be relieved to hear about the latest news out of Poland. Today CD Projekt Red announced that it had not only resolved an ongoing legal dispute with The Witcher author Andrzej Sapkowski, but that it had both extended and grown its partnership. That's not to say that CD Projekt Red has made any announcements or promises, but the renewed partnership with Sapkowski is still both notable and important.
The source of the dispute between CD Projekt Red and Sapkowski goes back to 2019, when the author's legal team issued a demand for over £12 million ($16 million) in royalties. This was due to the profit of The Witcher games being significantly larger than what the original contract between the two parties predicted. The dispute was settled outside of the court system, so while it may not be entirely amicable it was done with both parties looking toward the future.
CD Project Red announced today that they not only concluded their dispute, but had extended their agreement going forward. CDPR president Adam Kicinski said in a statement that he believes "today marks a new stage in our continued relationship." While no details about the final agreement were made public, that Kapowski is continuing the partnership should be seen as promising for those hoping for future releases in The Witcher franchise.
Especially excited is a small note in CDPR's statement explaining that the agreement "confers new rights" to the studio. Whether this means CDPR has more leeway to pursue new projects or perhaps to expand on the universe outside of Sapkowski's works isn't clear, but it's exciting to consider. CDPR has previously mentioned an intent to continue making The Witcher games, though not The Witcher 4. The company is now enabled to do that.
CDPR has had representatives quoted before saying that Geralt's story is over and that they aren't going to make The Witcher 4. But it's entirely possible that CDPR would continue to make open-world games set in The Witcher universe, either with a direct spin-off or something entirely new. If Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't prove as popular as The Witcher 3, a quick return to The Witcher might even be expected. Today's announcement proves that all of those options seem possible, though it may be some time before fans find out just what CDPR has planned for the future.
Source: GameSpot