New project starts at CD Projekt Red

CD Projekt Red, the Polish game studio behind The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, has officially begun working on a new project codenamed Project Hadar. The studio’s co-CEO, Michał Nowakowski, confirmed that the project is the company’s most ambitious effort to date, requiring several years of development and now featuring a coherent vision for the game’s world and elements.

Team expansion for the new project

The studio announced in September that it is expanding its team for Project Hadar, which already has over 30 people working on it. Plans are in place to hire up to 50 more by the end of the year. A job posting from June suggested the game will be an emotionally impactful open-world experience, hinting that it will be an open-world title.

Multiple projects in development

In addition to Project Hadar, CD Projekt Red is working on The Witcher 4, set for release in 2028, and a third major expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt called Songs of the Past, expected next year. The expansion, developed by Fool's Theory, will connect The Witcher 3 with The Witcher 4, which will follow Ciri, Geralt’s adopted daughter. The studio also confirmed development on Cyberpunk 2, the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077.

Long-term plans and future games

The studio plans to release a new The Witcher 3 trilogy within six years. If The Witcher 4 launches in 2028 and the schedule holds, The Witcher 5 could be released in 2031 and The Witcher 6 in 2034. However, no details about the world or story of Project Hadar have been revealed yet, though it may be a large-scale RPG, similar in scope to Game of Thrones.

Anime and remastered game releases

In parallel, the second season of the anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, co-created by CD Projekt Red and Pondsmith, will debut on Netflix on October 20. Earlier this month, The Witcher 3 Remastered was released on consoles and PC, giving the popular RPG a visual upgrade to keep fans engaged until the upcoming Songs of the Past expansion.