CD Projekt Red, the renowned game development company, has announced a significant layoff, affecting approximately 100 employees, which constitutes around 9% of its workforce. This restructuring move comes as the company focuses on its work on new gaming titles. This marks the third round of layoffs for CD Projekt Red this year, having previously impacted employees at both CDPR and its subsidiary studio, Molasses Flood.
In a blog post, CDPR CEO Adam Kiciński explained that the decision to downsize the workforce was driven by the need to reevaluate the team and structure as the company juggles multiple game development projects. Kiciński acknowledged the talent and skill of the employees but stated that the company is currently overstaffed and doesn’t foresee opportunities for all of them in the coming year based on project needs.
Despite the layoffs, some of the affected employees will be retained until the first quarter of 2024. The recent layoffs are in addition to previous ones that impacted the team working on the Witcher card game, Gwent, and employees at Molasses Flood, known for their work on Project Sirius, a multiplayer title set in the Witcher universe.
CD Projekt Red currently has several exciting projects in the pipeline. This includes Project Polaris, the first game in a new Witcher trilogy, Project Orion, a new Cyberpunk title, Project Hadar, a new IP, and a remake of the original Witcher game.
The company’s decision to restructure its workforce highlights the challenges faced by game development studios in managing resources effectively while working on multiple ambitious projects. Despite the layoffs, CD Projekt Red remains focused on delivering high-quality gaming experiences and continues to be a significant player in the gaming industry.
