Project Sirius, which CD Projekt Red has been developing for a long time, stands out as a project being reshaped within the studio. The company officially announced that it is downsizing the development team for this multiplayer Witcher game. It was stated that four people in Boston and five in Warsaw were laid off, while nine people were taken into an internal interview process to be evaluated for other projects. This development is interpreted as a sign that CD Projekt Red is undergoing a “broader development strategy change.”
Kotaku’s Report and Official Confirmation
According to the news first reported by Kotaku, based on an unnamed source, layoffs occurred in the Project Sirius team and this was attributed to a “broader development strategy change.” A CD Projekt Red spokesperson reached by Eurogamer confirmed the matter shortly after. The company emphasized that the process was a planned restructuring, saying, “We adjusted the size of the Sirius team according to the needs of the development phase.” This statement shows that the project has not been completely shelved, but that the team structure has changed significantly.
A Brief History of Project Sirius
- The project was among a series of new games announced by CD Projekt Red in 2022; it was said to have a multiplayer component alongside the single-player mode.
- Development was entrusted to Molasses Flood, which was working as an external studio at the time.
- In 2023, CDPR restarted the project from scratch, announcing that it was “re-evaluating the scope and commercial potential of the original concept.”
- In 2025, the studio acquired Molasses Flood to develop the game in-house.
- Earlier this year, it was learned that a writer who had worked on Destiny 2 and Guild Wars 2 joined the team.
This history clearly shows how turbulent a development process the project has gone through. Sirius is not yet a fully revealed game; information about it is coming in pieces. Still, this restructuring does not mean the game has been canceled.
Team Size and Impacts
In its financial report published in May, CD Projekt Red announced that 83 people were working on the Sirius team. If the layoff figures are accurate, dozens of people still remain on the team. This shows that the project will not continue with a completely small core team, but rather that it could be restructured to focus on a specific goal. Furthermore, the fact that nine people, excluding the nine laid off, are being reassigned to other CD Projekt Red projects reveals that the company is trying to limit talent loss.
How Does This Affect CD Projekt Red’s Future?
The company’s main focus is still The Witcher 4. Additionally, Songs of the Past, a Witcher 3 expansion being developed with Fool’s Theory, could meet players next year. A sequel to Cyberpunk is also among long-term plans. The downsizing at Sirius can be read as an indication that these projects are much more of a priority. On the other hand, the multiplayer Witcher experience is still on CD Projekt Red’s agenda; in fact, this year there were also reports that a free-to-play mobile Witcher multiplayer game was in development.
In conclusion, Project Sirius appears to be a project being reshaped rather than canceled. It can be said that CD Projekt Red is concentrating its strategy around The Witcher 4, but is still hopeful about Sirius. In the coming months, we may receive clearer news about both The Witcher 4 and Sirius. Although such restructurings are common in the game development world, it should be remembered that they are a difficult process for the affected employees.
