Innovation, especially in one’s chosen genre, is a funny thing. When a breakout success like Baldur’s Gate 3 from Larian Studios appears, there’s an instinct to create something similar, if only because one is inspired by its quality and execution.
However, while CD Projekt RED joint CEO Michał Nowakowski says it’s an “inspiration,” it won’t influence the studio’s direction. “There was a lot of inspiration in what Baldur’s Gate 3 did, but I think we’re still sticking to what was in Witcher 3, Cyberpunk. But we don’t want to just make another game like that, just with better graphics. We do want to innovate,” he told PC Gamer.
In case there’s any confusion, Nowakowski said CD Projekt RED is “definitely” not going to “make a game like Larian did.” That being said, there are some lessons to glean from it. “That’s the kind of game they can make. But a lot of stuff with how they can interact with the world and what it does was, for sure, some inspiration to us.”
While it’s best known for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077, both massive open worlds laden with in-depth side quests and memorable characters, the studio has dabbled in other genres. Look no further than Gwent and Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, both different takes on the card-battling mini-game.
However, at “some point,” says Nowakowski, a decision was made to focus on “the key pillar games rather than doing spin-offs.” “Maybe that’s going to change, but at the moment, the way we are structured right now, we don’t necessarily want to walk away from that.”
CD Projekt RED’s next title is probably The Witcher 4, which stars Ciri as the protagonist, but it won’t launch before 2027 at the earliest. Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, Project Orion, is likely further out as it entered the pre-production phase last May. Nowakowski even noted that it could take four to five years to develop.
