It’s widely known that Cyberpunk 2077 has undergone a redemption journey with the release of update 2.0 and the Phantom Liberty expansion. The initial launch of CD Projekt Red’s RPG in 2020 was marred by severe issues, leading to a broken game and a barrage of criticism towards the developers. A CD Projekt Red veteran has now addressed this situation, discussing the internal changes that have taken place since the game’s release, as well as the evolving development processes for the upcoming project, tentatively titled Polaris in The Witcher series.
Colin Walder, the engineering director for Cyberpunk 2077, has been a part of CD Projekt Red for eight years. Following his presentation at the Inven Game Conference, he spoke with Inven Global, touching on various aspects such as audio technology, the company culture at CD Projekt Red, and the shifts occurring in the development of the next game, codenamed Polaris.
Walder explains, “Our approach to production, creating demos, and transitioning to an agile mindset and workflow is all about ensuring that we address certain issues right from the start. For instance, when it comes to consoles, we need to ensure their smooth functionality right from the beginning. In the case of our next project, Polaris, we are already running our demos and conducting internal reviews on the console from the very outset. This is a step we only took later in the development of Cyberpunk.”
Polaris represents the first of three new games in The Witcher series by CD Projekt Red. It is currently in the pre-production phase and will serve as the initiation of a new saga that will encompass a trilogy of games.
Walder continues by discussing the challenges in maintaining team morale post-release, particularly after the difficulties experienced with Cyberpunk 2077. He acknowledges that morale suffered significantly and emphasizes the importance of acknowledging what went wrong. He underscores the necessity to translate words into actions, showing genuine commitment. This commitment may manifest in adjusting schedules instead of resorting to crunch when facing looming deadlines. By consistently demonstrating a commitment to preventing crunch, trust and morale gradually begin to rebuild within the team.
Notably, back in 2019, CD Projekt Red had promised less crunch during the development of Cyberpunk 2077 compared to The Witcher 3. However, this did not prevent a series of layoffs at the company in recent years. A few months ago, CD Projekt Red announced layoffs affecting around 100 employees, which amounted to 9% of its workforce. This decision prompted developers at the studio to form a union earlier this month.
For players currently enjoying the game and seeking assistance, we offer guidance on the best Cyberpunk 2077 builds based on update 2.0, along with a list of essential Cyberpunk 2077 mods that you should consider installing.