The studio behind The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077 says its recently-outed mobile game is an “experiment” being developed by a completely separate and independent team.
The Witcher games are not what you’d call lightweight pieces of fluff, and Cyberpunk 2077, which is still in development, promises more of the same. So it might seem a little odd to hear that CD Projekt Red is working on a mobile game, since they’re not really known for being big, meaty experiences; but a recent management report revealed that that’s exactly what the studio is up to.
“For several months, along with an external partner, we worked on another, unannounced project, which we plan to launch this year,” the report states. “It’s a multiplatform mobile game, made with advanced technological capabilities of tablets and smartphones in mind. Thus, we are entering a completely new territory in terms of gameplay and business model, realizing our strategic plans to enter the mobile gaming market.”
A follow-up statement saying that CDPR has licensed a brand to the external partner suggests that the game will be based on either The Witcher or Cyberpunk 2077, but the studio is keeping mum until the official announcement. It did touch upon its motivations for making the game, however, in a message on the CD Projekt Red website.
“We know that sometimes mobile games can be perceived as unfair and shallow. Because of that, we decided to conduct an experiment and create something that would both embody our core values and be fun to play,” it says. “That game is being developed by a special task force which is an independent team, in no way related to the devs working on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.”
Reputation notwithstanding, the mobile milieu has come a long way and while there are still plenty examples of bumbling monetization efforts – Dungeon Keeper, anyone? – the technical aspect is no longer a major roadblock to decent games. These days it’s not about what developer can do with mobile platforms, but what they choose to do with them, and given CD Projekt’s history I’m very much looking forward to its entry into the field.
The official reveal of CD Projekt Red’s first mobile game is expected “very soon.”
Sources: Eurogamer, CD Projekt Red
