CD Projekt Purple are persevering with to bulk up the staff creating The Witcher 4 – formally codenamed Polaris – with two-thirds of the studio now engaged on the follow-up to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. In the meantime, the staff engaged on Cyberpunk 2077 has shrunk to fewer than 20 folks, lower than half the quantity engaged on its upcoming sequel.
The most recent perception into the precedence given to every of the Polish builders’ varied initiatives got here by way of their FY 2023 earnings name, throughout which co-CEO Michał Nowakowski revealed that greater than 400 builders had been now centered on mission Polaris – aka The Witcher 4.
400 was the goal staff measurement outlined for mid-2024 by CD Venture Purple earlier this yr, representing simply shy of two-thirds of the corporate’s 600-strong growth staff and a leap from the round 330 devs mentioned to be engaged on it final November. In consequence, Polaris is deliberate to maneuver from its present pre-production section into full manufacturing throughout the second half of the yr.
A variety of these additional Witcher 4 builders have shifted over from Cyberpunk 2077, having launched its Phantom Liberty enlargement and big 2.0 replace final yr. Simply 17 folks at the moment are left on the 2077 staff, which Nowakowski mentioned might “shrink a bit” additional as no additional “large updates” are deliberate.
“In fact, we’re nonetheless this recreation and issues could change sooner or later, however as for now, 17 is sufficient,” Nowakowski mentioned, including: “We’re lastly completely happy – since final yr – with the state of the sport.”
Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel, codenamed Orion, was mentioned to be within the conceptual section, with among the prime expertise from the primary recreation and Phantom Liberty overseeing the mission – which was contemplating some sort of multiplayer aspect and a shift away from first-person, final we heard. Whereas the Cyberpunk sequel was confirmed to have CD Projekt Purple’s second-biggest growth staff engaged on it, the staff contains simply 47 devs – nearly a tenth of the following Witcher recreation.
After Polaris, the mission second closest to completion is mission Sirius, the Witcher spin-off recreation headed up by The Molasses Flood, main a staff of 37 devs.
Unsurprisingly, CD Projekt Purple refused to be drawn on a potential launch date for The Witcher 4 – with Nowakowski responding “revealing launch dates is a part of the advertising and marketing plan, and that’s not one thing we’re keen to do right here” to a shareholder query – however insisted that Polaris could be formidable and groundbreaking greater than “The Witcher 3 in new clothes”.
“Relating to the dangers of revolutionary components – making a brand new recreation is at all times a inventive danger, particularly since we’re making an attempt to push new boundaries and discover new fields; that’s one thing we haven’t really completed earlier than,” Nowakowski mentioned.
“I suppose what I’m saying is that you just shouldn’t be anticipating “The Witcher 3 in new clothes” of kinds; after all we’re constructing on the shoulders of what got here earlier than, and on what we’ve realized, however we will probably be including new gameplay components and new mechanics that you haven’t seen in our earlier video games. I’d say – doing such issues is at all times a danger; it’s not simply repeating what was completed earlier than.”