CD Projekt S.A., a prominent Polish video game developer, publisher, and distributor, has risen to success through its dedication to delivering exceptional gaming experiences. With its famed property, The Witcher series, which is based on the novels of Andrzej Sapkowski, the company attained astounding success.
CD Projekt Red’s RED engine is a proprietary game engine designed exclusively for its immersive and nonlinear role-playing video games. REDengine, designed as a successor to the Aurora Engine used in CD Projekt’s previous releases, exemplifies the studio’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of game creation.
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which won numerous Game of the Year awards, were two critically praised games that CD Projekt delivered despite their financial struggles.
With the publication of Cyberpunk 2077 in 2020, the firm broadened its audience. GOG.com, a well-known game distribution site, was founded due to CD Projekt’s dedication to providing games without digital rights management (DRM).
Statistics states, “In 2022, CD Projekt Group achieved a remarkable revenue of over 213.5 million U.S. dollars (952.6 million zloty). This significant increase in earnings can be attributed to the successful release of Cyberpunk 2077 in December 2020, which contributed to the company’s outstanding performance.
Similarly 2015, the Polish game developer and publisher generated approximately 205 million U.S. dollars in revenue, driven by the release of the highly acclaimed third installment of The Witcher series in May 2015. In the previous year, the company reported revenues of 25 million U.S. dollars, demonstrating a substantial growth in its financial success over the years.”
As a result of its successes, CD Projekt has established itself as an important player in the gaming sector, expanding to be the most prominent publicly-traded video game company in Poland with a market value of $8.1 billion, making it the biggest video game firm in Europe.
When did CD Projcket Red found?
Founded in 1994 by Marcin Iwiński and Michał Kiciński, the company initially acted as a distributor for foreign video games before establishing its own development department, CD Projekt Red.
CD Projekt’s establishment was driven by its passion for video games and the scarcity of such games in communist Poland. As teenagers, both Iwiński and Kiciński sold cracked copies of Western video games, but they aspired to operate their business legitimately.
CD Projekt took advantage of Poland’s transition to a market-based economy, they became the first importers of CD-ROM games, importing titles from U.S. retailers. With a modest budget of only $2,000, they set up their office in a friend’s flat, determined to carve their path in the gaming industry.
Amazing Facts about CD Projekt Red
- CD Projekt was founded in early 1994 by Marcin Iwiński and Michał Kiciński with the aim of spreading their love for video games in scarcity-stricken Poland.
- Initially, Marcin and Michal sold cracked versions of Western games and later established CD Projekt to import games from U.S. retailers, becoming the first to import CD-ROM games to Poland.
- CD Projekt started localizing games and gained success with the Polish version of Baldur’s Gate, leading them to found CD Projekt RED in 2002 to focus on game development.
- The Witcher, based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels, became their flagship project, but initial pitches were not successful. With support from BioWare, CD Projekt RED conceptualized and developed the first Witcher game.
- CD Projekt RED acquired Metropolis Software and their open-world adventure Witcher project, which eventually led to the development of the RED Engine, the foundation for The Witcher 2 and The Witcher 3.
- The company stood against DRM policies and launched GOG.com, a platform selling classic, DRM-free games online.
- CD Projekt RED purchased the rights to Cyberpunk 2020 and started working on Cyberpunk 2077 while finishing The Witcher trilogy.
- The studio’s smart marketing ploys, such as placing Triss Merigold in Playboy Magazine, helped The Witcher 2 to be a commercial success and cemented their standing as skilled RPG creators.
- The design and aesthetic of Cyberpunk 2077, which highlights the iconic universe and the cyberpunk genre’s influence, demonstrate CD Projekt RED’s adoration for Blade Runner.
Most popular games from CD Projekt Red
CD Projekt Red is renowned for its dedication to producing top-notch, story-driven experiences that connect with people all over the world. Two games of them are The Witcher Series and Cyberpunk 2077.
- The Witcher series: The Witcher franchise is perhaps the most iconic and successful series from CD Projekt Red. Series includes:
- The Witcher (2007): The first game in the series that introduced players to Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter and protagonist of the series.
- The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (2011): The critically acclaimed sequel that continued Geralt’s adventures in a more complex and politically driven storyline.
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015): Widely regarded as one of the greatest RPGs of all time, featuring a vast, immersive world and captivating storytelling.
- Cyberpunk 2077: Action role-playing game Cyberpunk 2077 (2020) is based on the tabletop role-playing game Cyberpunk 2020 and is set in a bleak future society. Despite some early technical difficulties at launch, the game attracted much attention and has a devoted following.
