Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red not interested in being acquired
Pack off.
CD Projekt Red, the developer behind the prolific Cyberpunk 2077 and Witcher video games, is not interested in being acquired.
Speaking with Polish outlet Parkiet (and shared by IGN), chief strategy officer of parent company CD Projekt S.A. Adam Kiciński said the company is fine as it is, and hopes it will continue to grow independently.
"We are not interested in integrating ourselves into any larger entity," Kiciński told the publication. "Throughout our entire lives we have worked towards the position we currently hold. We believe that in a few years, we will be even bigger and stronger." The exec said the company has "ambitious plans" for the future, but it values its independence. "Independence is really appealing, it's a kind of freedom," he said.
For now, these ambitious ideas at the company do not include making an acquisition of its own. While CDPR remains "open to ideas that could accelerate the implementation of [its] strategy", there is nothing planned "at this time". However, it isn't interested in "acquisitions that would only aim to incorporate the acquired companies into our group and consolidate their financial results", with Kiciński stating the team doesn't see the value in that type of investment.
The exec also reflected on the recent release of both Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty expansion and the Ultimate Edition of the game. Kiciński admitted the last three years had been "quite challenging" in general for the company. "Just yesterday we had a reflection that exactly three years ago the entire board was wondering how - I will call it euphemistically - to address the situation related to the premiere of Cyberpunk. Three years have passed and we have emerged victorious from this turmoil."
Following a rocky and bug-riddled launch in 2020, which saw Cyberpunk 2077 delisted from the PlayStation Store, Kiciński says the CDPR team is now "back in the ring at full strength".
"We delivered the quality that the players wanted. The Phantom Liberty DLC was also fantastic. The ratings on Steam for both the base game and the add-on are very good," he said.
CDPR is now looking to the future, with new games in both its Witcher and Cyberpunk series currently in development. Following layoffs at the company last year, the studio could now see a "marginal" increase in its employee size this year.
"I'd rather say that employment will remain stable, because some people will move between projects," Kiciński elaborated. "In 2025, however, I would expect a further increase in employment."
Back in October, CDPR announced it had shifted 25m copies of Cyberpunk 2077, while Phantom Liberty sold 3m copies in its first week of launch. As well as new games, there is also a live-action Cyberpunk project in the pipeline with CDPR and Anonymous Content.