While CD Projekt's big announcement today came as a surprise, a small but very important piece of internal news: Marcin Iwiński, who co-founded CD Projekt in 1994 and currently serves as co-CEO, is stepping down.

"This is a big moment for me. I have been with CD Projekt for nearly 30 years and have seen it go from a handful of passionate rebels to an internationally recognized developer of story-driven role-playing games loved by millions of people worldwide. I don't think either of us could have imagined such an amazing journey when Michał Kicinski and I founded the company."

"When I think about the future of CD Projekt, it is very exciting for me. Today, CD Projekt employs more than 1,200 people in offices around the world. But CD Projekt is never about physical location or size. It's all about the immense talent we have and the hard work and dedication of everyone who chooses to work here.

Ivinsky is stepping down from his position as CEO, but he is not leaving the company. Instead, he will become chairman of CD Projekt's Supervisory Board (open in new tab), which will oversee the activities of CD Projekt Capital Group separately from the Board of Directors (open in new tab).

"In my new role as an independent director, I will remain focused and active in supporting the entire Management Board. I will also stay connected to the core of what makes our company special: creating the best storytelling games in the world and doing what's right for gamers."

The last point, "doing right by gamers," is particularly salient given CD Projekt's recent history. The much-hyped "Cyberpunk 2077" was a flop at launch, the studio's plans for updates and new content (open in new tab) were completely derailed, and CD Projekt's reputation among fans was severely damaged. However, the company has continued to work on the game over the past two years, achieving at least respectable functionality, and player numbers (opens in new tab) and sales (opens in new tab) have recovered accordingly. Cyberpunk 2077 is not yet The Witcher 3, but it is no longer a huge embarrassment.

CD Projekt also announced today that it will open a new studio in Boston. The new operation will be independent from The Molasses Flood (open in new tab), the Boston-based developer of The Flame in the Flood, which CD Projekt acquired in 2021, and will allow CD Projekt to "fully leverage its North American talent pool."

The company has also been working on the development of the new game, The Molasses Flood.

Continued growth will be critical to CD Projekt's long-term plans. The studio also announced today that it has plans for a Witcher trilogy (opens in new tab), two Witcher spin-off games (opens in new tab), a full-fledged sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 (opens in new tab), which will be released in a six-year span, and Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher upgrade to next-gen consoles, and an entirely original new project (opens in new tab) in addition to what The Molasses Flood is doing. This is a ridiculous schedule for any studio, much less one that has historically struggled to complete one game at a time.