CD Projekt boosts investment on Witcher games

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, September 9, 2026

CD Projekt Red is significantly increasing its investment in game development, with a 53% rise in R&D expenses as it prepares the next main Witcher installment featuring Ciri, targeted for a 2028 release. This shift reflects the studio’s focus on quality and timing over market pressures, while licensing deals and remastered content continue to bolster revenue and maintain franchise momentum.

CD Projekt Red SA, the Warsaw-based developer best known for its Witcher series, is significantly increasing investment in its game development pipeline as it prepares for the next installment in its flagship franchise. According to chief financial officer Piotr Nielubowicz, the company is now operating at a fundamentally different stage compared to five years ago, when it concentrated its resources primarily on a single title.

The studio, listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, is reinvesting much of its robust cash flow from legacy titles into new projects. This strategy has elevated capital expenditure to a key factor in decisions regarding shareholder distributions. In the second quarter, research and development expenses surged by 53% year-on-year, reaching over 200 million zloty (approximately US$54 million), as the company expanded its workforce to more than 1,000 employees.

At the heart of this increased spending is the development of the next mainline Witcher game, centered around the character Ciri, which is tentatively scheduled for release in 2028. After the problematic launch of Cyberpunk 2077 in 2020, CD Projekt Red has placed greater emphasis on ensuring the studio’s readiness before releasing new titles. Nielubowicz stressed that the timing for the new Witcher game will be dictated solely by the state of development rather than market competition or rival releases.

The company is also leveraging its intellectual property through licensing deals that contributed significantly to first-half revenues. These include partnerships with external studios, a trading-card game, and another season of Netflix’s Cyberpunk: Edgerunners series. Nielubowicz highlighted licensing as an increasingly important revenue source as CD Projekt’s brands gain wider global recognition.

Meanwhile, the legacy Witcher franchise continues to generate interest. A remastered version of The Witcher 3 is set for release on September 29, followed by a paid expansion titled Songs of the Past, expected next year. The original 2015 game recently experienced a sales boost after the Gamescom trade fair in August, adding to its lifetime sales of 65 million copies. However, Nielubowicz cautioned that predicting sales for the new expansion remains challenging, given the unusual industry context of releasing additional content more than a decade after the main game’s debut.

Industry trends are also favorable for the developer, as rising hardware prices driven by demand for AI-related components have not negatively impacted game sales. This suggests a resilient market environment as CD Projekt Red advances its ambitious development plans.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.