The CD Projekt Red Story: The Greatest Comeback in Gaming

In 1994, two high school friends started a company in Warsaw with just $2,000. Three decades later, CD Projekt Red is one of the most influential RPG studios in the world, and the studio behind one of gaming’s biggest disasters and greatest comebacks. In this episode, we trace the full story: from localizing Baldur’s Gate in Poland, to nearly going bankrupt making The Witcher 2, to the record-breaking success of The Witcher 3. Then comes the troubled launch of Cyberpunk 2077 and the years-long fight to win players back. We finish with what comes next: The Witcher 4’s Unreal Engine 5 tech demo, The Witcher 3 Remastered, Cyberpunk 2 and the studio’s first original IP, Project Hadar. This episode also includes a clip from my 2010 Gamescom interview with The Witcher 2 developers, originally recorded for Bazi-Rayaneh magazine. Chapters 00:00 Cold open: the Cyberpunk 2077 launch 00:55 From game stalls to localization 02:20 The Witcher (2007) 03:31 Near bankruptcy and The Witcher 2 06:42 The Witcher 3 and the rise of a giant 09:06 Cyberpunk 2077: the fall 11:02 The comeback 12:38 A new era: Unreal Engine 5 and The Witcher 4 14:22 Unreal Fest 2025: the first look at The Witcher 4 16:04 Back to The Witcher 3 and what’s next Subscribe to Game Dev Origins for more stories about the studios, people and countries that shaped game development. #CDProjektRed #TheWitcher #Cyberpunk2077