World news and discussion on TalkFuse.
The Witcher multiplayer spin-off Project Sirius reportedly hit with another wave of layoffs
Project Sirius, CD Projekt’s multiplayer spin-off set in The Witcher universe, has reportedly undergone another round of redundancies. The reported cuts add to uncertainty around a project that has already been reworked, and highlight the continued pressure on game studios to reduce costs while developing large-scale online titles.
The report says the layoffs affected the project’s developer, The Molasses Flood, although neither the studio nor CD Projekt had publicly detailed the scale of the reductions. Project Sirius was first announced as a multiplayer-focused Witcher game and was restarted in 2023 after CD Projekt wrote off around £7.5 million in development costs; it remains in development alongside several other Witcher projects.
In short
- Project Sirius reportedly faces another round of job cuts.
- The Witcher multiplayer game was previously restarted in 2023.
- The size of the reported layoffs has not been confirmed.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Large-scale multiplayer games require sustained substantial investment, and Project Sirius has already required major reworking and significant financial write-offs. Game studios operate in highly competitive markets with uncertain returns on investment. Making staffing adjustments to align project scope with financial reality is a necessary part of sustainable business operations, particularly when projects require fundamental restructuring. Publishers have a responsibility to remain viable and protect remaining employees.
The case against
These redundancies cause severe hardship to individual workers and families who depended on their employment. The layoffs indicate poor initial planning and project management by CD Projekt, whose executives and shareholders should bear the consequences rather than frontline staff. The gaming industry systematically exploits worker insecurity whilst generating substantial revenues. If CD Projekt can resource multiple Witcher projects, it should sustain its workforce through difficult development periods rather than resorting to redundancies.
Explained simply
The Witcher is a fantasy series of books and games created by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. CD Projekt, a Polish games company, made the best-known video games based on it, and The Molasses Flood is a studio working on a separate multiplayer spin-off called Project Sirius.
The project was restarted in 2023 after CD Projekt wrote off about £7.5 million in development costs. It is one of several Witcher games in development, and its changes have left questions about how it will take shape. Layoffs at a studio can affect the people making a game and its progress, while also reflecting the costs and risks involved in developing large online games.