The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red is already planning its next moves, according to studio president Adam Kiciński, but not with a straightforward sequel to its hit RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The studio will start work on the new title once Cyberpunk releases, and it will be set in the Witcher universe, but no further details were specified.
Kiciński went on to tell Eurogamer Poland that all of the studio's upcoming projects would be tied into The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077. "We have two worlds, and within these worlds we want to create games," he said.
The new Witcher title, which is distinctly not meant to be the series' fourth entry, will be handled by a small team within CD Projekt Red, with larger sections of the studio dedicated to online and post-release support for Cyberpunk. CDPR has slowly built a reputation over the years as a high-quality developer with each successive entry in the Witcher trilogy.
The third game, Wild Hunt, enjoyed a recent resurgence four years after its original release thanks to an impressive Nintendo Switch port and renewed interest in the franchise after the debut of the Netflix series.
The studio's return to its roots after breaking into new territory with Cyberpunk won't come as much of a surprise to existing fans, but it's possible that the project could go in a different direction than earlier titles, placing players in another character's shoes instead of bringing Geralt of Rivia back for another adventure across the Continent.
If the new title does end up focusing on another Witcher or a different kind of protagonist entirely, it wouldn't be the first time an adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski's book series branched out from its main character. Netflix's anime prequel film Nightmare of the Wolf is likely to star Geralt's mentor Vesemir. With secondary characters like Yennefer, Triss and Ciri already being fan favorites in the games, CDPR could potentially build something new and interesting by building a side story rather than a direct sequel.
News on the new Witcher game's development is also likely to be scarce until CDPR is ready to show off its work with confidence. Cyberpunk 2077's development cycle has been infamously lengthy, with the studio's sci-fi FPS/RPG being in the works in some fashion since 2012. The most recent Cyberpunk delay pushed its release to September 2020, and the studio's dedication to graphical detail and skill almost guarantees that its next title will be primarily built for high end gaming PCs, the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Source: Eurogamer Poland