From The Witcher to Cyberpunk: How CD Projekt Red Made Its Name

Open-world role-playing games (RPGs) for PCs and consoles have boomed in recent decades. From Skyrim and Fallout to The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, these games have gained more and more traction among fans. From the developers’ point of view, open worlds provide a huge scope to express their creativity and showcase their talents. For players, these games mean hours of fun and exploration far beyond the time it takes to complete the principal quest. 

The strength of an open-world RPG lies with its side quests. They flesh out the world, expand on lore and history, introduce characters with different backgrounds, motivations, and aims, and enrich the gaming experience by further immersing players in its story and play mechanics. CD Projekt Red understands this better than many other developers and has rapidly proven itself to be a major contender in the gaming industry.

CD Projekt was founded in 1994 by Marcin Iwiński and Michał Kiciński. Based out of Warsaw, Poland, the company first found its feet localizing and distributing CDs and DVDs. In 2002, they established CD Projekt Red, the company’s game development arm, and released their first big video game project in 2007 – The Witcher. 

The Witcher role-playing game by CD Projekt Red.

Based on the 8-book fantasy series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher series put CD Projekt Red firmly in the public eye. Sapkowski’s world is one of discrimination and deprivation. Humans regard “non-humans” with disdain and fear, branding them as monsters.  The story follows a witcher, Geralt of Rivia, who travels across the land, fighting monsters for money. In the face of selfishness, cruelty, and desperation by humans and non-humans, the series confronts readers with the question “Who is truly the monster?” The games fleshed out the world of The Witcher, exploring themes of racism, classism, and prejudice through Geralt’s interactions with non-playable characters (NPCs) and the many available side quests. Players are encouraged to pay attention to the political climate and the cogs of ambition and greed that grind Geralt’s world, not simply focusing on fighting the next enemy. 

In each Witcher game, CD Projekt Red shows their unrivaled understanding of the universe, bringing racial tension, discrimination, fear, and lack of compassion into play. Through the various quests, players experience the duality of villagers expecting Geralt to rid them of their local monster, while also shunning him for his strange golden eyes and unnerving manner. On your next quest, you may choose to fight on the side of the “monsters” – i.e. any non-human being whose needs or wants conflict with those of the human population. The game relentlessly confronts players with the uncertain morality of choosing sides and the insidious effects of discrimination and ambition, while making Geralt’s mantra – “If I have to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all” – almost impossible to follow.

Still from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Credit: CD Projekt Red

Another property that is a strong testament to the skill, passion, and thought CD Projekt Red puts into every game is Cyberpunk 2077. The game is based on Cyberpunk 2020, the 1990 version of a tabletop RPG written by Mike Pondsmith and first published by R. Talsorian Games in 1988. Set in a dystopian future, in a violent, cut-throat world of corporations, gangs, and fashion, players aim to survive and thrive by any means necessary. As with The Witcher, CD Projekt Red took advantage of the tabletop game’s rich lore and extensive world-building to create compelling and memorable storylines and characters. Although Cyberpunk 2077 is set half a century after Cyberpunk 2020, the same themes are present in both, with characters and throwbacks and a strong history held in common. 

Cyberpunk 2020 tabletop role-playing game by R. Talsorian Games

Cyberpunk 2077 was initially released in December 2020 and, while it had great potential, critics and fans felt it had too many issues to be considered one of the greats. Multiple bugs, glitches, and recurrent crashes contributed to it being judged as “unplayable” by some critics. The graphics and story were excellent, and it was popular among die-hard cyberpunk fans, but overall, the game fell short of expectations. Thankfully, the studio continued developing and improving the game and, in 2024, released the updated version – Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition. At last, it was the game fans had always known it could be. Along with the impressive visuals and storyline of the original, the updated version is extremely customizable, has improved AI for non-playable characters (NPCs) and enemies, and is generally more challenging and more fun. Unlike its 2020 release, it now features proudly on lists of the top RPGs in 2024. Its downloadable content (DLC) expansion, Phantom Liberty, released in early 2024, took Cyberpunk 2077 to even greater heights, delivering a slick spy-thriller storyline packed with additional lore and compelling characters.

Still from Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. Credit: CD Projekt Red.

CD Projekt Red’s contribution to these two properties goes beyond simply producing video game adaptations. They are intrinsically involved in the various projects that have seen The Witcher and Cyberpunk franchises skyrocket in popularity. By focusing their efforts on these lesser-known IPs, they have brought these two franchises to prominence they may not have achieved alone. And most impressively, they’ve done it while preserving the spirit of the IPs and staying true to their tone. 

Since Cyberpunk 2077 was first released, the Cyberpunk franchise has taken on new life. In 2020, R. Talsorian Games released a new version of the tabletop game called Cyberpunk Red, the first new edition in 30 years. The same year, Marcin Batlyda, a writer for CD Projekt, published The World of Cyberpunk 2077. The book is the perfect accompaniment to the video game, diving into the extensive lore and providing additional information on the gangs, technology, and history of Night City. In 2022, in association with CD Projekt, the Japanese animation studio Trigger released the anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners on Netflix, drawing even more people into the Cyberpunk world.

Netflix’s Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Credit: Trigger and CD Projekt Red

The Witcher has similarly remained a household name, despite it being 9 years since The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was released. A decade can be a long time in gaming but Wild Hunt still holds appeal for newcomers and gamers of all levels and is considered by many to be one of the best open-world video games today. The compelling storyline with variable outcomes and unpredictable endings makes it a game worth playing again and again. In 2015, CD Projekt Red published The World of the Witcher: Video Game Compendium, a book that allows players to dive even deeper into Geralt’s world and learn more about witchers, beasts, weapons, and Geralt himself – all told through the voice of the bard Dandelion. The Netflix live-action adaptation has kept The Witcher in the limelight since 2019 with a show that is mostly faithful to the books and also honors the games and their fans.

Netflix’s The Witcher live-action TV series. Credit: Netflix

In October 2022, CD Projekt Red announced that they are working on not one but three more Witcher games. The Witcher 4, known so far as The Witcher: Polaris, will be the first of the “AAA” RPG trilogy, meaning these high-budget, high-profile games will form a multi-game saga. The studio has been reluctant to call it “The Witcher 4” officially as it seems that it will form a distinct trilogy from the first three games. We don’t know much more than that, except that we’re unlikely to see it before 2025. CD Projekt Red are understandably eager to avoid the same bugs and system issues they encountered with Cyberpunk 2077 and, with the weight of a much-loved and high-profile property on their shoulders, they are determined to do it justice with the next installment.

It’s hard to argue that CD Projekt Red hasn’t had a huge effect on The Witcher and Cyberpunk franchises. Each franchise had a dedicated fan following in their original form but there’s no doubt they have expanded beyond all expectations since CD Projekt took them on. The studio achieved so much more than simple video game adaptations; CD Projekt Red recreated the spirit, the atmosphere, and the very core of these properties and made them accessible to gamers across the globe. With exquisite world-building, engaging characters, fantastic visuals, and complex, compelling storylines, they make the most of the open-world role-playing format and create an immersive gaming experience unlike any other. From the projects we know about to the ones waiting in the wings, this is a studio we will be hearing about for many years to come.

Have you played any of CD Projekt Red’s video games? Are you a fan of the dark fantasy or dystopian cyberpunk genres? Let us know what you think about The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077 in the comments below. And don’t forget to subscribe to our free newsletter, PopPulse Digest, for all things gaming, pop culture, online deals, and more.

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