Last year, a small game by the name of The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt was released. You might have heard about it, or even played it because it was apparently not terrible. In fact, it was quite the opposite according to the legions of fans who reportedly helped it ship 10 million copies of the game worldwide.
That’s a massive achievement, but not unsurprising given just how big The Witcher 3 turned out to be. With details soaking up every pixel on the screen, a loyal fanbase and a world filled with side-quests that put every other game to shame, The Witcher 3 was ambitiously fantastic. And that’s an idea that’ll be seen in CD Projekt Red’s next game, the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077.
According to CEO Marcin Iwinski in an interview with GI.Biz, the success of The Witcher 3 has given the CDPR team the resources to be “more ambitious on every single front, in the development and on the marketing side,” with Cyberpunk 2077. For that sci-fi game, Iwinski and CDPR are looking at some of the most successful sandbox games of our age for inspiration: Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption.
Rockstar set the bar with their forays into sandboxes of western violence and heists in Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto V, ambitious titles that were developed and released when the developer was satisfied with them and earning a cult following in the process. That’s what CDPR wants to emulate. “For us, it’s never about money,” Iwinski said.
Yes, we deliver results, but we always explain to our investors that we have a long-term perspective. They shouldn’t expect us to annualise, or suddenly start releasing games just because there’s a business opportunity. Fundamentally, The Witcher 3 has proven that… and right now, we have a lot of credit, so we should use that and take the time to make Cyberpunk something really meaningful for the whole industry. It has to reach the next quality bar, and I’m not talking just for us, but for the market.
If we look at our role models, what Rockstar is doing is amazing. It’s not like, ‘We have to ship a game or we may not hit our financial goals.’ It’s, ‘Here’s GTA V, and by the way, it’s the best game ever made.’ We’re all looking forward to Red Dead Redemption 2, because you know they’ll show something and you’ll be like, ‘Oh my god.’
Cyberpunk is tentatively scheduled for a release sometime between 2017-2021, most likely on current-gen platforms and PC. Although I’m already taking bets that we’ll see it sometime in the late 2020s instead. Thing is, not a single CDPR fan will complain. They’re happy enough to wait as long as they have to for the Polish studio to deliver on their ambitious promises.
Last Updated: April 28, 2016
RinceThis
April 28, 2016 at 15:32
Cyberpunk 2077 say no to Witcher III. Am I doing this right?
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 28, 2016 at 15:35
That face in the header on that body, I’m so confused
RinceThis
April 28, 2016 at 15:36
It’s a certain person when Cyberpunk 2077 is released with a 50 gig day one patch tehehehe
AfricanTime
April 28, 2016 at 15:37
dont support REM
RinceThis
April 28, 2016 at 15:40
Shame, I know they are depressing, but not support them?
Original Heretic
April 28, 2016 at 15:41
Guess I better get out of the corner and start finding religion then. Bother.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 28, 2016 at 15:34
OH SNAP, CDPR
P is the 16th letter and C is the 3rd in the alphabet. 16 – 3 = 13. The 13th letter is M
DRM!
RinceThis
April 28, 2016 at 15:36
HAHAHAHAH!
Admiral Chief in New York
April 28, 2016 at 15:37
Oh you
HairyEwok
April 28, 2016 at 15:39
Was waiting to see a HL3 confirmed XD. Got me good there. Don’t support DRM, Cyberpunk 2077 is coming.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 28, 2016 at 15:39
Sigh, I wonder if he’ll ever see this
RinceThis
April 28, 2016 at 15:40
Oh yes. It left, again? *Geoff quickly logs out of his Disqus…
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 28, 2016 at 15:42
rofl
Original Heretic
April 28, 2016 at 15:40
Someone is going to start going Rain Man on you.
RinceThis
April 28, 2016 at 15:40
lol
HairyEwok
April 28, 2016 at 15:44
Let me have a go at this……CDPR C=3 D=4 P=16 R=18….. 3-4=-1…. -1+16=15…. 15-18=-3 HALFLIFE 3 CONFIRMED MADE BY CDPR.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 28, 2016 at 15:45
Hahaha nice
Admiral Chief in New York
April 28, 2016 at 15:46
So true, -3, we are MINUS HL3
HairyEwok
April 28, 2016 at 15:50
Gaben give us HL3 T-T.. We hate being minus HL3
Admiral Chief in New York
April 28, 2016 at 15:37
And YET, NOT GOTY
Original Heretic
April 28, 2016 at 15:44
CDPR could remake Pacman and I’d play it, because they’d find a way of making it absolutely amazing. Hence, looking forward to this. Just hope it won’t be PS NEO exclusive.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 28, 2016 at 15:47
Just as long as Adam Sandler stays out of Pacman
HairyEwok
April 28, 2016 at 15:49
Pacman with aard, igni and yrden… Somehow I feel sorry for those ghosts all of a sudden.
Original Heretic
April 28, 2016 at 15:50
The ghosts will become creatures like nothing we’ve ever seen. We will fear them, of yes, we will most certainly fear them.
Alien Emperor Trevor
April 28, 2016 at 15:48
Damn 2021 is going to be a great year, Cyberpunk & Star Citizen (maybe) at the same time.
Original Heretic
April 28, 2016 at 15:49
Oh you, thinking Star Citizen is actually ever going to be released within our lifetimes.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
April 28, 2016 at 15:50
Probably HL3 as well
Avithar
April 28, 2016 at 16:07
why does that lady have a man’s face…
Original Heretic
April 28, 2016 at 16:18
…
Avithar
April 28, 2016 at 16:32
hahaha
HvR
April 28, 2016 at 16:34
Darryn’s Ryanza summoning spell failed miserably.
ElimiNathan
April 28, 2016 at 16:45
Make it so epic that you can play The Witcher 3 on an Arcade machine in Cyberpunk 2077
CypherGate
April 28, 2016 at 17:18
This will release globally in 2077
Krishnakanth K V
May 4, 2016 at 17:03
That lady is wearing Geralt’s mask???