Latest news with #PiotrNielubowicz
Geek Culture
3 days ago
- Business
- Geek Culture
CD Projekt's 'Cyberpunk 2' Sequel Enters Pre-Production, Won't Be Out Until 2030
CD Projekt has announced that its follow-up to 2020's Cyberpunk 2077 , simply known as Cyberpunk 2 , has entered the pre-production phase of development. The studio made the announcement as part of its latest financial announcement, which also highlighted the latest sales milestone for the original game's expansion, Phantom Liberty , which has sold 10 million copies to date. 'Given these developments, it fills me with even greater satisfaction to announce another important stage in our work on the next big game in this franchise,' said chief financial officer Piotr Nielubowicz, 'Several weeks ago, Cyberpunk 2 — previously referred to as Project Orion — wrapped up its conceptual phase and entered pre-production. Congratulations to the entire team!' While this reveal might be exciting, fans are in for a long wait, as the game is still far from being released. When responding to a question suggesting that the sequel will follow the original's development timelines, thus placing its release date somewhere between late 2030 and early 2031, Nowakowski did not disagree. 'I can reiterate in a way what I said in one of the previous calls, which was basically that our journey from pre-production to final release takes four to five years on average,' he explained. 'Having said that, keep in mind that each project is unique, and there are many variables that influence the final outcome. So I will not lead you into specific years, but yes, this is pretty much how it looks.' For now, it looks like Cyberpunk 2 is still a long way off, as all of CD Projekt's focus is still firmly set on The Witcher 4 , which is also not due out anytime soon, with the highly anticipated RPG only due out in 2027, leading to speculation that it would target next-gen consoles. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. CD Projekt Cyberpunk 2 Cyberpunk 2077
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Witcher 4 developer reveals highly anticipated game won't arrive before 2027
Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher series publisher CD Projekt has confirmed it does not plan to release The Witcher 4 before 2027. During an earnings call with investors, the publisher's chief financial officer Piotr Nielubowicz confirmed The Witcher 4 would not arrive any time soon. 'Even though we do not plan to release The Witcher 4 by the end of 2026, we are still driven by this financial goal,' he told shareholders. This should not come as a surprise to those who follow trends in game development, as giant open-world games whose budgets spiral into the hundreds of millions of dollars are not quick to produce. CD Projekt announced in November 2024 that The Witcher 4 had entered full production, following a fairly prolonged multi-year period of pre-production. 'I'm proud to confirm that several weeks ago the Polaris team wrapped up preproduction and moved on to full-scale production – the most intensive phase of development. We are very pleased with our progress on this project, and I wish to thank the team for its dedication,' CD Projekt co-CEO Michał Nowakowski said in a statement released at the time. Polaris is the codename given to The Witcher 4's development project. Despite being some way off, a cinematic trailer for The Witcher 4 was released in December 2024 during The Game Awards. It depicts Ciri attempting to save a villager who has been sacrificed to a monster — which she kills — only to find the young woman has been killed by the villagers anyway. What does that tell us? The gritty darkness of The Witcher series is present and correct, and the age of Geralt is over, for now. 'Ciri takes center stage as the protagonist, embarking on her own journey to become a professional monster slayer,' reads the trailer's blurb. CD Projekt has also confirmed The Witcher 4 is planned as the first in a trilogy of games. And the potential release date for the last of those doesn't bear thinking about. We can only hope some of us will still be alive to see it. The publisher will not want to rush and see a repeat of what happened with Cyberpunk 2077. That game's 2020 launch saw the publisher's stock value take a hit it has spent the last five years attempting to recover from — a still-ongoing process. Credit to developer CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk 2077 has undergone one of the most notable turnarounds of modern gaming, while its 2023 expansion Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty was (almost) universally praised. The Witcher 3 was released in May 2015, meaning its sequel will arrive well over a decade later.
Khaleej Times
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
'The Witcher 4' won't arrive before 2027, confirms CD Projekt
Fans eager to step back into the dark, monster-infested world of The Witcher will have to wait much longer than expected. According to reports, CD Projekt has officially confirmed that The Witcher 4 won't be released before the end of 2026, meaning the highly anticipated sequel is now looking at a potential 2027 (or later) launch. The news came during an investor meeting, where CD Projekt's CFO Piotr Nielubowicz reaffirmed the company's financial goals but ruled out a pre-2027 release for the next Witcher entry. First announced at The Game Awards 2024, The Witcher 4 will mark the beginning of a new trilogy, placing Ciri in the lead role. The reveal trailer teased a darker, more grounded world, with game director Sebastian Kalemba confirming the game will explore Ciri's journey to becoming a full-fledged witcher. Beyond The Witcher 4, CD Projekt is also developing a remake of the original 2007 game and a multiplayer-focused spin-off codenamed Sirius, helmed by The Molasses Flood studio in Boston. Interestingly, rumours suggest Microsoft is targeting 2027 for the release of its next-gen Xbox, which means The Witcher 4 could launch alongside an entirely new console generation. With such a long wait ahead, fans can only hope CD Projekt delivers an experience worthy of its legacy when the game finally arrives.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CD Projekt's full-year net profit falls 2.3%
GDANSK (Reuters) -Poland's biggest game developer CD Projekt on Tuesday posted a 2.3% decline in full-year net profit, having not released a new game last year. Net profit was 469.9 million zlotys ($122 million) beating the 390 million zlotys expected in Reuters poll of analysts. Revenue fell nearly 20% to 985 million zlotys. In September 2023 CD Projekt released the long-awaited expansion to its flagship game "Cyberpunk 2077", which boosted results for that year. The company now faces a couple of years without a major game release and its revenue for the coming quarters will mainly come from sales of existing games. "Results of the CD Projekt Group are primarily driven by sales of 'Cyberpunk 2077'. The base game, along with its 'Phantom Liberty' expansion, generated nearly 600 million zlotys in earnings," finance chief Piotr Nielubowicz said in a statement. "We are very satisfied with the fact that, even in the absence of any major launch, the past year was the third best in the group's history in terms of net profit." In November 2024 cumulative sales of "Cyberpunk 2077" topped 30 million copies, while the "Phantom Liberty" expansion had sold more than 8 million copies. "This year "Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition" will appear on macOS, allowing us to reach a new group of gamers," joint CEO Michal Nowakowski said in a statement. "We are also working to expand the Cyberpunk universe. In 2024 we announced a new animation project, which is currently under development and which will be released on Netflix." ($1 = 3.8517 zlotys)
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CD Projekt SA (OTGLF) (FY 2024) Earnings Call Highlights: Navigating Challenges and Seizing ...
Revenue: PLN985 million for 2024, 80% of the previous year's revenue. Cyberpunk and Phantom Liberty Sales: PLN589 million contribution to group sales. The Witcher Products Sales: PLN163 million, slightly more than the previous year. Selling Expenses: Decreased by PLN108 million to PLN135 million. Net Profit: PLN470 million, 2% less than the previous year. Net Profitability: Increased to 48% for the group, 58% for CD Projekt RED. Cash Reserves: Increased by PLN163 million, reaching PLN1.47 billion. Development Expenditures: Increased by PLN168 million, mainly due to The Witcher 4, Series, and Orion projects. Dividend Policy: Starting 2025, a dividend of at least 25% of net profit recommended. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Sign with OTGLF. Release Date: March 25, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. CD Projekt SA (OTGLF) achieved a major milestone with The Witcher 4 entering full-scale production, involving over 400 developers. The Witcher 4 trailer received significant attention, becoming the most watched at the game awards event with over 8 million views in 72 hours. Cyberpunk 2077 maintains a high rating on Steam and won a BAFTA award, indicating strong community appreciation. Sales of Cyberpunk 2077 and its expansion, Phantom Liberty, were robust, with over 13 million and 8 billion copies sold, respectively. CD Projekt SA (OTGLF) announced a strategic partnership with Scopely to develop a game within one of its IPs, indicating future growth opportunities. The Witcher 4 is not expected to be released by the end of 2026, raising concerns about the timeline for future releases. The reorganization of project teams around Sirius and The Witcher remake may impact project timelines. The company's net profit target for the 2023-2026 incentive program remains challenging, with over PLN1 billion still needed. There is uncertainty regarding the financial impact of the new amortization schemes on future results. The use of generative AI tools in development is limited due to legal and IP concerns, potentially affecting innovation. Q: Can you provide details on the partnership with Scopely, including any upfront licensing fees and project timelines? A: Michal Nowakowski, Joint CEO: Unfortunately, we cannot provide further information on the Scopely partnership at this time. More details will be shared in the future. Q: Will The Witcher 4 be released by the end of 2026, and can we expect it in 2027? A: Piotr Nielubowicz, CFO: We are not announcing a precise launch date for The Witcher 4 yet. However, it will not be released by the end of 2026. We cannot confirm a 2027 release at this time. Q: Does the reorganization of project teams affect the timing of Sirius, The Witcher remake, and The Witcher 4? A: Michal Nowakowski, Joint CEO: The reorganization does not affect the timing of these projects. Sirius and The Witcher 4 are developed independently, with no significant overlap between the teams. Q: How might the release of GTA VI impact the standard price of AAA games? A: Michal Nowakowski, Joint CEO: While we have no specific knowledge, there is a likelihood that GTA VI could influence AAA game pricing. If the standard price changes, it could benefit us. Q: What are the chances of achieving the incentive program target of PLN 1 billion net profit by 2026 without new projects? A: Piotr Nielubowicz, CFO: Achieving the target relies on the longevity of our products, franchise management, and new content releases. We expect to be active in these areas to meet the goal. Q: Can you provide an update on the development costs for The Witcher 4? A: Piotr Nielubowicz, CFO: We do not guide on future budgets. The headcount is at the target size, and costs will fluctuate as development progresses, especially in later stages like localization and QA. Q: What is the status of animation and live-action projects? A: Michal Nowakowski, Joint CEO: We have no specifics to share. Animation teasers were shown last year, and more information is expected soon. Live-action updates will follow later. Q: What percentage of investment expenditures are allocated to animation, live-action, and announced projects? A: Piotr Nielubowicz, CFO: Most investments are in major products like The Witcher 4 and Orion. Other projects are smaller in scale compared to these flagship titles. Q: Is it possible to release the entire new Witcher trilogy within a 6-year window? A: Michal Nowakowski, Joint CEO: We see no obstacles to achieving this goal. Our experience with Unreal Engine 5 is positive, and we are progressing as planned. Q: What impact will the new amortization schemes have on future depreciation? A: Piotr Nielubowicz, CFO: The updated amortization schemes reflect the strong performance of Cyberpunk and Witcher 3. For 2025, Cyberpunk and Phantom Liberty's quarterly amortization will decrease by PLN 3 million. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
