You don't spend a fortune on research and development by accident. CD Projekt Red just jacked up its R&D spending by 53%, and the message is clear. They're backing themselves into a corner with a targeted 2028 release window for The Witcher 4.
If you've followed this studio for any length of time, you know they love high-stakes gambles. After the disastrous launch of Cyberpunk 2077 and its eventual redemption, management changed how they build games. They had to. Now, they are pouring money into foundational tech, moving past old mistakes, and trying to prove they can handle a massive multi-platform rollout without burning out their staff or delivering a broken mess.
Breaking Down the Financial Surge
Let's look at the actual numbers because they tell a fascinating story. CD Projekt Red pulled in 435 million PLN in revenues during the first half of 2026, netting a consolidated net profit of 249 million PLN. That is a 57% net profitability margin.
Old hits keep paying the bills. The Witcher 3 has cleared over 65 million copies sold, while Cyberpunk 2077 topped 40 million. Money is flowing in from licensing deals too, like crossover events in other games and physical merchandise.
Instead of sitting on that cash pile, the studio is aggressively reinvesting it. That 53% spike in R&D isn't just about throwing bodies at a screen. It reflects the intense technical overhead of shifting entirely to Unreal Engine 5 and building out systems that work smoothly across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X from day one.
The Production Reality Behind Project Polaris
The Witcher 4—internally known as Project Polaris—is officially in full production. Over 500 developers are actively building the title. To put that in perspective, that is more than double the core team size that developed The Witcher 3.
Studio leadership has been quite vocal about how they are managing this monster. Co-CEO Michał Nowakowski noted that you cannot build a game of this scale by being strictly cost-driven. Quality has to lead the charge. If you obsess solely over keeping budgets tight from minute one, you end up compromising the core vision.
At the same time, they are terrified of repeating the QA nightmare of Cyberpunk. They are implementing strict internal checkmarks. If a milestone fails technically, they stop to fix it rather than pushing technical debt down the road.
A Steady Stream of Content Until 2028
Waiting until 2028 for the next major installment sounds painful. Fortunately, CD Projekt Red mapped out a bridge strategy to keep fans engaged every single year.
They scheduled a remastered version of The Witcher 3, followed by a narrative expansion titled Songs of the Past targeted for 2027. This means fans get a Witcher-themed release annually leading right up to the 2028 launch window.
This cadence avoids the multi-year radio silence that usually kills community momentum. It keeps revenue flowing and gives the massive engineering team breathing room to polish the core RPG mechanics of the upcoming sequel.
What This Means for the Industry
AAA game development is currently facing an existential crisis. Budgets are bloated, development cycles stretch past six years, and studios collapse when a single game underperforms.
CD Projekt Red is attempting a middle ground. Polish labor costs are lower than American or Western European counterparts, giving them a slight financial buffer. Yet, their spending is climbing rapidly anyway.
By staking their reputation on a transparent timeline and massive R&D investments now, they are trying to redefine what a modern blockbuster RPG launch looks like. Keep a close eye on their technical updates over the next two years. The 2028 target is set, and they have zero room left for error.
