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Troubled Witcher multiplayer spinoff Project Sirius struck with new round of layoffs
CD Projekt Red has cut 18 jobs from Project Sirius, its troubled multiplayer Witcher spin-off, in the project’s second round of layoffs since a major 2023 reboot. The reductions underline continued uncertainty around the unshown game and reflect the wider pattern of job losses across the games industry.
The 18 roles reportedly represent roughly a quarter of the project’s team; half of those affected have been made redundant, while the remainder may be considered for other internal roles. Project Sirius was announced in 2022 and began at The Molasses Flood, which CD Projekt acquired in 2021 before fully absorbing it in 2025; no new details of the game have emerged since its reboot.
In short
- CD Projekt Red cut 18 roles from Project Sirius.
- Half of affected staff were made redundant.
- It is the project’s second major staffing reduction.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Game development is inherently uncertain, and multiplayer titles especially require careful resource allocation. When the 2023 reboot signalled the original direction wasn't viable, scaling back the team allows the company to pursue a more promising path whilst maintaining financial stability. This kind of course correction is standard in product development across industries.
The case against
These layoffs stem from poor planning and vision at leadership level. The need for a major reboot just three years after announcement suggests fundamental problems with initial conception and resourcing. Rather than treating layoffs as inevitable, the pattern across the games industry demonstrates systemic issues with how companies plan for creative projects, where workers bear the cost of leadership miscalculation.
Explained simply
The Witcher is a fantasy series of books and games about a monster hunter named Geralt. CD Projekt Red, a Polish games company, made the best-known games in the series; Project Sirius was announced as a separate game with multiplayer features.
The project began at The Molasses Flood, a studio CD Projekt bought in 2021 and later absorbed into the company. After a major reboot in 2023, the game has remained out of public view, leaving its plans unclear. Its uncertain future matters to the staff working on it and reflects job cuts affecting the wider games industry.
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