A decade ago, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt redefined the gaming landscape, its impact still felt by players today. However, behind this monumental success lies a turbulent development journey that, according to CD Projekt RED co-founder Michal Nowkowski, was a fight for the studio’s very survival.
In the aftermath of the 2008-2009 financial crisis, CD Projekt RED was searching for a lifeline. The ambitious scope of The Witcher 3, particularly its open-world design, presented unprecedented challenges for the relatively inexperienced studio. They grappled with fundamental questions: how to weave interconnected quests that players could tackle in any order, whether to implement complex mechanics like swimming and the expansive underwater environments they would necessitate, and the sheer scale of populating such a vast world with meaningful content.
This open-world ambition proved divisive within the team. Some feared the world would feel empty and lifeless, while others worried it would become overwhelming with minor activities. As quest designer Blazej Augustnyek recalls, a board member voiced concerns that the “world is empty. There’s nothing in it except quests.” This realization led to the creation of a “strike team” tasked with injecting substantial content into the game’s world – the very question marks that have since become a debated trope in modern open-world games. Conversely, the sheer volume of planned content led to the difficult decision of cutting entire quest lines, including a significant plot arc where Geralt would have infiltrated the Wild Hunt as a spy.
Despite the arduous and uncertain development process, CD Projekt RED ultimately delivered a masterpiece that continues to captivate players ten years later. The critical and commercial triumph of The Witcher 3 was transformative for the studio. From a company teetering on the brink, CD Projekt RED ascended to prominence, gaining the attention and support of major industry players like Sony for future technical collaborations. The success not only secured the studio’s future but also paved the way for their subsequent ambitious projects, establishing them as a major force in the global gaming market.