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The Witcher Multiplayer Game Gets Reboot, Hits Developer Layoffs

29 layoffs at The Molasses Flood

By John Friscia May 15, 2023403 views

Project Sirius, the Witcher multiplayer game project, hits a reboot with a new framework, and 29 The Molasses Flood developers hit layoffs.

The multiplayer Witcher game known as Project Sirius is receiving a reboot at CD Projekt and developer Molasses Flood, and (per Kotaku) a total of 29 Molasses Flood developers have met with layoffs as a result of the restructuring. Back in March during an earnings call, CD Projekt had announced that Sirius was being “reassessed” after apparent development struggles, and now the other shoe has dropped.

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The multiplayer Project Sirius (which apparently also has single-player Witcher elements) has a “new framework” now, but there are no specifics beyond that as far as game elements. The change has allowed CD Projekt to partially reverse an impairment charge that it made back in March, but regular people don’t care about any of that. The bummer is that Molasses Flood developers have been laid off, with 21 located in the United States and eight more in Poland.

CD Projekt is stationed in Poland, but The Molasses Flood is rooted in Massachusetts. The latter was founded in 2014 and developed The Flame in the Flood and Drake Hollow, and CD Projekt acquired it in October 2021. All seemed to be well until March, and now there are dedicated employees out of a job with this Witcher multiplayer game reboot. It’s uncertain how many employees remain at The Molasses Flood now.

About the author

Former Managing Editor at The Escapist. I have been writing about video games since 2018 and editing writing on IT, project management, and video games for around a decade. I have an English degree, but Google was a more valuable learning resource. I taught English in South Korea for a year in 2018, and it was exponentially more fun than living in Pennsylvania. My major passions in life are SNES, Japanese RPGs, Berserk, and K-pop. I'm currently developing the game Boss Saga with my brother, which is guaranteed to change your life and you should buy it.

More Stories by John Friscia

Former Managing Editor at The Escapist. I have been writing about video games since 2018 and editing writing on IT, project management, and video games for around a decade. I have an English degree, but Google was a more valuable learning resource. I taught English in South Korea for a year in 2018, and it was exponentially more fun than living in Pennsylvania. My major passions in life are SNES, Japanese RPGs, Berserk, and K-pop. I'm currently developing the game Boss Saga with my brother, which is guaranteed to change your life and you should buy it.