CD Projekt Red Cuts More Jobs on Witcher Multiplayer Spin-off Project Sirius

CD Projekt Red continues to face difficulties with its ambitious multiplayer project. According to reports, the studio has once again reduced staff on Project Sirius, the multiplayer spin-off set in The Witcher universe. Nine individuals are reportedly leaving the studio, with another nine being internally reassigned to different teams.

Sirius Sees Second Round of Layoffs

Project Sirius is once again at the center of restructuring efforts. Developed in collaboration with external studio Molasses Flood, the spin-off aims to be a standalone multiplayer experience within the Witcher universe – separate from the main series featuring Geralt of Rivia. However, this is precisely where the risk lies for CD Projekt Red: unlike the single-player RPGs in The Witcher series, the studio is entering new technical and conceptual territory with a multiplayer title, which is proving more difficult to estimate than initially thought.

What These Changes Mean for Their Strategy

According to reports, CD Projekt Red justifies the move with a “broader shift in development strategy.” In concrete terms, this likely means the studio is reallocating resources to where they are most urgently needed – such as the continued development of Cyberpunk 2077 and work on The Witcher 4. From our perspective, this fits the image of a studio that has become noticeably more cautious after the rocky Cyberpunk 2077 launch in 2020, preferring to work on fewer projects simultaneously but with more emphasis. For the Project Sirius workforce, however, this is still the second wave of layoffs to hit the team in a relatively short period – a warning sign of just how uncertain the project's overall status is.

There is currently no official comment from CD Projekt Red regarding the exact reasons for the layoffs. Whether and when Project Sirius will even be released remains uncertain.

Source: Eurogamer

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