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Multiplayer Witcher spin-off Project Sirius reportedly hit by layoffs again, in “broader shift in development strategy” at CD Projekt Red
CD Projekt Red has reportedly made nine redundancies on Project Sirius, its multiplayer-linked Witcher spin-off, while moving another nine staff to other internal teams. The reported changes are said to reflect a broader shift in development strategy, adding fresh uncertainty around a project that has already been rebooted and reorganised several times.
CD Projekt Red said in May that 83 people were working on Sirius, meaning a substantial team would remain if the report is accurate. The game began at external studio Molasses Flood, was rebooted in 2023 after a review of its scope and commercial potential, and moved in-house after CDPR acquired the studio in 2025; meanwhile, The Witcher 4 remains the company’s main priority.
In short
- Project Sirius reportedly lost nine staff amid a strategic development shift.
- Another nine employees are reportedly being reassigned internally.
- The Witcher 4 remains CD Projekt Red’s top priority.
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The case for
Prioritising The Witcher 4 whilst refining Project Sirius represents sound strategy. A major publisher must allocate resources toward proven franchises, and moving staff to other projects rather than maintaining excessive overhead on an experimental multiplayer title demonstrates financial discipline. The project retains a meaningful team, and strategic refinement—even multiple times—is normal for complex game development, particularly following an external studio acquisition and in-house transition.
The case against
The recurring reboots and personnel changes suggest CD Projekt Red has failed to establish clear direction for Project Sirius. Three years after a major 2023 reset, restructuring the team again indicates the earlier reboot did not resolve fundamental uncertainties about scope, viability, or creative vision. This pattern of repeated pivots may reflect underlying problems with planning, execution, or honest assessment of whether a multiplayer Witcher game remains commercially and creatively viable.
Explained simply
Project Sirius is the working name for a spin-off set in the world of The Witcher, a fantasy series about monster hunter Geralt and other characters. It was planned as a multiplayer game, alongside CD Projekt Red’s main Witcher role-playing games.
The project began at The Molasses Flood, a studio later acquired by CD Projekt Red, the Polish company behind The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077. After reviewing its scope and commercial prospects, the company restarted development in 2023 and brought the work in-house in 2025.
Sirius has been reorganised more than once, while The Witcher 4 is CD Projekt Red’s main priority. Changes to the team matter because they may affect how the spin-off is developed and how it fits into the company’s plans for the series.