As a gamer, I remember the 2020 launch of Cyberpunk 2077 all too vividly. It wasn't just a rocky start; it felt like watching a celebrated chef serve a magnificent, five-course meal that turned out to be raw and inedible. The disaster was so profound that Sony pulled the game from the PlayStation Store, an unprecedented move that shattered the reputation of one of the industry's most beloved studios, CD Projekt Red. Even now, in 2026, with Cyberpunk 2077 fixed and the Phantom Liberty expansion hailed as a masterpiece, the studio is still climbing a mountain of shattered trust. I've been following their journey closely, and recent insights show they are determined to ensure history doesn't repeat itself with their next major project, The Witcher 4 (codenamed Project Polaris).
A Foundational Shift: Consoles First
At the heart of Cyberpunk 2077's failure was the catastrophic state of its console versions. Colin Walder, CD Projekt Red's engineering director for management and audio, recently explained the studio's new philosophy at the Inven Game Conference. For Project Polaris, the approach is fundamentally different. Console development is being prioritized from the very first line of code. Walder stated that the team is already running demos and conducting internal reviews on console hardware from the beginning of development—a step they only took much later in Cyberpunk's cycle.
"It's about ensuring we're on top of certain things from the start," Walder said. "Take consoles, for example; we need to make sure they're functioning from the get-go. For our next project, Polaris, we're already running our demos and internal reviews on the console from the very beginning. This is a step we only took later in Cyberpunk's development."
This is a critical change. It means the game's foundation is being built with all platforms in mind, rather than treating consoles as an afterthought—a strategy that previously backfired like a poorly tuned engine in a high-performance car.
Redefining Deadlines and Crunch Culture
The studio's infamous crunch culture was another major point of failure, delivering a significant hit to both public trust and internal morale. Walder admits the studio has had to change its attitude. They are now opting for malleable deadlines that can be adjusted to ensure quality, rather than rigid dates that force unsustainable work hours.
| Old Approach (Cyberpunk 2077) | New Approach (Project Polaris & Beyond) |
|---|---|
| Rigid, unmovable release dates | Flexible, quality-focused deadlines |
| Crunch as a standard practice | Active attempts to eliminate mandatory crunch |
| Console optimization late in development | Console parity from day one |
| Morale took a "significant hit" | Focus on rebuilding team morale and trust |
Walder emphasized that the public needs to see tangible efforts to eliminate crunch, not just to regain fan trust but to heal the studio from within. He acknowledged that company morale is still a work in progress.
The Unfinished Symphony: Internal Challenges Remain
While the promises sound promising, the studio's internal landscape tells a more complex story. Earlier this year, a group of CD Projekt Red developers formed a union, citing stress and a lack of job security following layoffs. This action is a stark reminder that rebuilding a game is one thing; rebuilding a workplace culture is another. The success of Phantom Liberty may have appeased players like myself, but it hasn't automatically solved the human equation inside the studio.
For Project Polaris to truly succeed, CD Projekt Red must harmonize these internal and external efforts. The game cannot be built on a foundation of discontent; that would be like constructing a beautiful, futuristic city on tectonic plates that are constantly shifting. The studio needs to ensure its workforce is stable, supported, and happy long before the game is ready for our consoles.
Looking Forward: A Cautious Optimism
As we look toward the future of The Witcher series and other projects, I feel a cautious optimism. CD Projekt Red seems to have learned painful but vital lessons:
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🔧 Technical Priority: Console-first development from the start.
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⏳ Cultural Shift: Moving away from destructive crunch with flexible deadlines.
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👥 Internal Focus: Acknowledging the need to repair team morale and security.
The path to redemption is steep. Regaining trust is a process slower than a glacier's march, but with each deliberate step, the studio moves closer. The story of CD Projekt Red's comeback is still being written, and as a player, I'm hopeful that the next chapter, beginning with Project Polaris, will be one defined by quality, stability, and the magic that made us fall in love with their worlds in the first place.