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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

CD Projekt Red has announced that it will be laying off nearly 10% of its staff in the coming months.

In an ‘organisational update’ message posted on the studio’s official website, CD Projekt CEO Adam Kiciński states that the company wants to have “teams that are more agile and more effective” and that after analysing the teams in the company the decision has been made that some are no longer needed.

“We’ve carefully assessed all teams in the company in terms of their expected contribution to the delivery of our strategy,” Kiciński writes. “There’s no easy way to say this, but today we are overstaffed.

“We have talented people on board who are finishing their tasks and – based on current and expected project needs – we already know we don’t have other opportunities for them in the next year.

“The outcome is the studio parting ways with around 100 people, which is roughly 9% of the entire team.

“This will not be immediate as some employees will be let go as late as Q1 2024 but, in the spirit of transparency, we’ve chosen to share the information now. We want team members to have ample time to process and adjust to the change, and we’ve also made sure to offer everyone a comprehensive severance package.”

In May, CD Projekt announced that it had laid off 29 employees after rescoping its Witcher spin-off game Project Sirius. These layoffs mostly impacted developers at The Molasses Flood, the American studio behind Flame in the Flood, which CD Projekt acquired in 2021.

Also in May, the company announced that its decision to wind down support for Gwent in 2023 would lead to around 30 Gwent team members also being laid off.

It’s not been made clear if the roughly 100 employees set to be let go include the Gwent staff.

CD Projekt Red is currently working on a number of projects, including titles codenamed Polaris (a new game in the Witcher franchise), Orion (a new Cyberpunk game) and Hadar (an entirely new IP).

CD Projekt Red plans to lay off around 100 staff, ‘roughly 9%’ of its team | VGC

“There’s no easy way to say this, but today we are overstaffed”…

www.videogameschronicle.com

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

 

[Guilty_AI]

I don't even care that much about their games, i just worry for GOG

 

[Thief1987]

Why they are apologizing about layoffs to... gamers? This idiotic "apologize" trend went out of hand.

 

[Bojanglez]

Preparing to be bought

/s

 

[Mr Hyde]

Time to shed those who care more about their social media image rather than put in actual hard work.

 

[nightmare-slain]

If they aren't needed then fine. Get rid of them. Not sure why they are telling the "gamers". Loads of companies need to cut jobs so just go do it.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Why they are apologizing about layoffs to... gamers? This idiotic "apologize" trend went out of hand.

They did not apologize to gamers. I've just used this template generator for the PR communication they've sent out.



And I've actually removed it since it was done a bit in poor taste and the thread is going offtopic due to it.

 

[nightmare-slain]

I don't even care that much about their games, i just worry for GOG

This has nothing to do with GOG because CD Projekt Red don't have anything to do with running GOG. CD Projekt Red and GOG are subsidaries of CD Projekt. This is like saying you're worried about Bethesda when Mojang are cutting jobs.

 

[Three]

I hate how "more agile" has come to just mean more temporary or dispensable.

 

[violence]

Only the strong survive.

 

[Drizzlehell]

Their severance packages are really good so I wouldn't worry about any of those employees. They will have enough of a cuhsion to fall back on, and it's also pretty cool that thye're giving them such a lengthy heads-up. The smart thing to do for those people now would be to start looking for other opportunities ASAP.

 

[Guilty_AI]

This has nothing to do with GOG because CD Projekt Red don't have anything to do with running GOG. CD Projekt Red and GOG are subsidaries of CD Projekt. This is like saying you're worried about Bethesda when Mojang are cutting jobs.

Point is CDP as a whole seems to have a management issues, with these Red layoffs just painting a part of the whole picture.

 

[Majormaxxx]

US staff is expensive. Polish staff is cheaper.

 

[Fools idol]

They had a lot of middle managers so I hear. Most of the layoffs are in the product management rolls, as well as some senior developers who obviously were not performing.

The investors conference call last quarter was pretty telling.

 

[MrStauf]

Just hope its the blue haired weirdos that are getting the boot.

 

[Shubh_C63]

Why do these companies willingly tweet that they're involved in organisation restructure which means people being laid off.

In a time of PR eliteness, why invite bas publicity

 

[Three]

Why do these companies willingly tweet that they're involved in organisation restructure which means people being laid off.

In a time of PR eliteness, why invite bas publicity

It's better to get out in front regarding bad news than let others tell it.

 

[The Cockatrice]

Why they are apologizing about layoffs to... gamers? This idiotic "apologize" trend went out of hand.

They dont want Shitaku or other garbage websites to cry about it even though layoffs are more common than me buying a pair of socks.

 

[Evil Calvin]

Could it be the Cyberpunk team. That DLC should be done since the game comes out in a couple months. Probably keeping a bunch to finish up, polish and patches.

 

[EDMIX]

smfh

The last people that should be punished for this companies stupidity is the team. They need to fix their fucking management and them as a publisher, of all the fucking issues with that game, it wasn't team itself, it was that the team was being asked to do something completely understaffed, with majority of its budget being spent on A list actors and marketing as oppose to actually fucking properly staffing the project.

This isn't a W even remotely.

Hire more as they need to greatly increase that team size, who they should be firing is the management and higher ups that lied about that game and understaffed that project in the first place.

I hope that team is able to land jobs at publishers that actually support them.

 

[Guilty_AI]

Hire more as they need to greatly increase that team size, who they should be firing is the management and higher ups that lied about that game and understaffed that project in the first place.

More people =/= better. For projects like games, there can be such a thing as being overstaffed. In fact, i'd argue one of CDP mistakes between TW3 and CP2077 was swelling their size too much.

 

[TastyPastry]

at the same time they are also building an entire new studio for cybepunk 2 in boston right? weird

 

[Team Andromeda]

Do the team need so many engine staff, now they're sadly looking to use Unreal 5 for all future titles?

 

[Gorgon]

They had a lot of middle managers so I hear. Most of the layoffs are in the product management rolls, as well as some senior developers who obviously were not performing.

The investors conference call last quarter was pretty telling.

Do you have any links? I'm not aware of that, would like to check.

 

[RoboFu]

Why do these companies willingly tweet that they're involved in organisation restructure which means people being laid off.

In a time of PR eliteness, why invite bas publicity

They want to get ahead of the jason shiezesnores ..err whatever his last name is.. .of the world. Before they turn it into click bait.

 

[Mr Moose]

Red is the game part? Why the fuck do they have that many people?

 

[JimboJones]

I wonder are they keeping their in house engine up to date? I imagine if they move completely to Unreal they wouldn't need as much R&D for that?

 

[Gorgon]

Red is the game part? Why the fuck do they have that many people?

Games like The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 aren't made with 150 people teams like games from From Software. It's not surprising that they would have about 1000 people working on Witcher and Cyberpunk games and DLC. And that's not counting the new IP they are working on.

 

[EDMIX]

More people =/= better. For projects like games, there can be such a thing as being overstaffed. In fact, i'd argue one of CDP mistakes between TW3 and CP2077 was swelling their size too much.

I greatly disagree. Only people that should have not been punished by this shit, was this team.

With how those games launched, it was clear they needed much more working on the game to correct lots of issues and to get functions up and running properly.

For example, well over 1000 people worked on Watchdogs 1, as to why they have Ai for the their cops from land, air and sea, as to why they have a working train station and the ability to hack and interact with many, many different things. That team didn't need 3 years to get cops to drive cars. Same when you look at RDR2 having over 2000 plus work on that project.

I simply don't buy their issue is TOO much people, for the actual game they were trying to make, other teams were well over 1000, 2000, 3000 etc, not 500 people being forced to do the job of 3 people at once. Something like this with so many moving parts, you need a deeply experienced team ON TOP of a enough developers to make those functions work properly.

So no disrespect, but teams that can do such AAA games with, lets say 500 or so are only for the deepest established teams in gaming, not "hey bro, we funa do our first open world gamez wit carz" type developer. Bethesda can easily get away with having 500 plus work on Starfield, they are also a developer that already knows what they are doing in that area. So this team has too many problem and I just don't buy that too much people is one of em.

I mean shit, after 3 fucking years we are waiting for actual Ai to drive a car in a video game and we are to believe they just have TOO many people? lol

 

[Guilty_AI]

I greatly disagree. Only people that should have not been punished by this shit, was this team.

With how those games launched, it was clear they needed much more working on the game to correct lots of issues and to get functions up and running properly.

For example, well over 1000 people worked on Watchdogs 1, as to why they have Ai for the their cops from land, air and sea, as to why they have a working train station and the ability to hack and interact with many, many different things. That team didn't need 3 years to get cops to drive cars. Same when you look at RDR2 having over 2000 plus work on that project.

I simply don't buy their issue is TOO much people, for the actual game they were trying to make, other teams were well over 1000, 2000, 3000 etc, not 500 people being forced to do the job of 3 people at once. Something like this with so many moving parts, you need a deeply experienced team ON TOP of a enough developers to make those functions work properly.

So no disrespect, but teams that can do such AAA games with, lets say 500 or so are only for the deepest established teams in gaming, not "hey bro, we funa do our first open world gamez wit carz" type developer. Bethesda can easily get away with having 500 plus work on Starfield, they are also a developer that already knows what they are doing in that area. So this team has too many problem and I just don't buy that too much people is one of em.

I mean shit, after 3 fucking years we are waiting for actual Ai to drive a car in a video game and we are to believe they just have TOO many people? lol

No.

More people => Harder to manage => More managers => Worse inter-team communication and worse vision unity => Slower progress.

Thats just how this stuff works, this isn't something to debate.

 

[FoxMcChief]

Why they are apologizing about layoffs to... gamers? This idiotic "apologize" trend went out of hand.

This. This has gotten very stupid. Why is it always news when studios layoff employees that aren’t needed anymore. Hasn’t this been a thing in gaming since forever?

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

How could they possibly be able to cut 100 staff with all the new Witcher games they have under development

 

[EDMIX]

No.

More people => Harder to manage => More managers => Worse inter-team communication and worse vision unity => Slower progress.

Thats just how this stuff works, this isn't something to debate.

They need both new managers and more staff

We have many publishers that have no issue managing AAA projects like this with 1000, 2000 or even 3000 under them.

This publisher simply isn't one of em..

 

[MikeM]

Getting sexy for an acquisition perhaps?

 

[Guilty_AI]

They need both new managers and more staff

We have many publishers that have no issue managing AAA projects like this with 1000, 2000 or even 3000 under them.

This publisher simply isn't one of em..

And for each one that can, we have 10 others that can't. And the ones that can grew to that size slowly, not all of a sudden in 5 years. Why do you think we have so many games releasing in poor state these days? Cause they're trying to manage 1000-2000 people like its some assembly line.

Again, this isn't up to the debate, its just how it works.

 

[EDMIX]

And for each one that can, we have 10 others that can't.

lolz yes, CDPR is one of the ones that clearly can't, so they need to be managed properly if they wish to put out such AAA titles.

Why do you think we have so many games releasing in poor state these days? Cause they're trying to manage 1000-2000 people like its some assembly line.

yea, or they are trying to force 500 people to do the fucking jobs of 2000 plus people

Thats why this game is getting some simple ass Ai like a cop driving a car 3 years after release..... so if this game released in a better state, you'd have a great fucking argument for that tbh, but having poor management and such little staff has a lot to do with this train wreck, like adding Ai years after release.

Nothing like that is happening with the likes of GTA, Red Dead, Watchdogs etc

They probably, i don't know...had enough to actually make functions and features work? nahhhh couldn't be lol

 

[Bernkastel]

I don't even care that much about their games, i just worry for GOG

I thought you liked Cyberpunk

 

[Kakax11]

I guess somebody got "chippin' out"

 

[Guilty_AI]

I thought you liked Cyberpunk

i do like it, but i don't expect them to pull something like that again honestly. In general i don't expect much from their future games.

 

[Vox Machina]

If they aren't needed then fine. Get rid of them. Not sure why they are telling the "gamers". Loads of companies need to cut jobs so just go do it.

I also find this exceedingly weird. If you need to do layoffs just do them, no need for an apology tweet.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

I don't even care that much about their games, i just worry for GOG

what's that?

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

i

Getting sexy for an acquisition perhaps?

Yeah, I just heard that Nintendo acquired them

 

[Guilty_AI]

what's that?

Their pc game store. Its the best place to get DRM-free games that come with proper installers.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Their pc game store. Its the best place to get DRM-free games that come with proper installers.

oh, i think it will be fine

 

[Darkmakaimura]

I don't even care that much about their games, i just worry for GOG

I'm basically an Unashamed GOG Shill. The last thing I'd want to see is that getting affected. I consider it to be one of the best things to ever happen to digital distribution.

 

[Mozzarella]

It feels some people dont understand how companies in Computer Technology works, this is the business model for most companies, games or software.

The model is usually, you start a project and you accept new workers within the company, the project gets worked on for a time period and then when its done they release some of the workers, while they keep some that can be proven progress worthy and appropriate fill up for the next project.
This is how these stuff always worked.

What happened here is probably due to the DLC nearing its end, part of the team will leave, then when the next project is starting they hire people..
Some people are important so they are like sticky, they stay all the time unless some fuck up happens or unless they retire or want to move on. Like Pawel Sasko for example, he is important for the company so he stays.

These computer technological companies are always looking to progress, and are always looking to gain maximum benefit with minimum costs.

This is very normal thing so people dont need to freak out as usual.

 

[kvltus lvlzvs]

I knew they had royally messed up when they started hiring Americans.

 

[MikeM]

i
Yeah, I just heard that Nintendo acquired them

My brother’s uncle told me that too

 

[Neilg]

I dont really find this that big a deal - they had 500 people in 2020. They hired 500 people over the course of 2.5 years to get cyberpunk out of the door and patched up - when you hire that quickly, you're going to scoop up some filler and dead weight.
Studios scale up for projects all the time, but if you use contractors and support studios to grow, it means you can 'lay off' hundreds and it's business as usual.