CD Projekt Red Trims Workforce on ‘Project Sirius’ as Witcher Spin-off Faces Continued Restructuring

The landscape of the global video game industry continues to face significant turbulence as CD Projekt Red (CDPR) confirms a new wave of staff reductions affecting Project Sirius, the highly anticipated multiplayer-focused spin-off set within the Witcher universe. Following months of speculation and internal shifts, the studio has formally addressed the status of the project, highlighting a contraction of its development team as it seeks to align resources with the game’s evolving scope.

The Core Facts: A Targeted Reduction

As of August 12, CD Projekt Red has confirmed that 18 developers previously attached to the Project Sirius initiative have been impacted by corporate restructuring. According to an official statement provided to media outlets, nine employees—split between the studio’s Boston and Warsaw offices—have been made redundant. A further nine staff members have been offered the opportunity to apply for internal redeployment, providing them a potential path to continue their careers on other ongoing projects within the broader CDPR ecosystem.

This latest adjustment represents a significant downsizing for the team. Industry analysis, citing figures from April 30, suggests that the Project Sirius team previously consisted of approximately 83 developers. With this reduction, the active headcount is estimated to have dropped to roughly 60, marking a contraction of approximately 28% of the project’s total personnel.

A Chronology of Development and Turbulence

To understand the current situation, one must look back at the origins and the turbulent development cycle of Project Sirius.

The Announcement (October 2022)

Project Sirius was first unveiled to the public in October 2022. It was framed as a bold, experimental addition to the Witcher franchise, designed to bridge the gap between single-player narrative experiences and multiplayer engagement. The project was placed under the stewardship of The Molasses Flood, a Boston-based studio known for titles like The Flame in the Flood, which CDPR had acquired in 2021. The vision was clear: to leverage the expertise of a boutique studio to bring a fresh, cooperative perspective to the dark fantasy world created by Andrzej Sapkowski.

The 2023 Rescoping

Less than a year into its development, the project hit a major roadblock. In May 2023, CD Projekt Red announced a "rescoping" of the project, citing the need to ensure the game’s quality and financial viability. This strategic pivot was accompanied by a significant round of layoffs, where 29 members of The Molasses Flood were let go. This moment served as the first public indication that the project’s initial vision might be unsustainable under the original development parameters.

Organizational Integration (April 2025)

By April 2025, the autonomy of The Molasses Flood was further reduced as the entity was fully absorbed into the CD Projekt Red corporate structure. This transition was intended to streamline communication and resource sharing, yet it appears to have been a prelude to further consolidation.

The August 2026 Restructuring

The latest developments in August 2026 underscore a recurring pattern of "right-sizing." By separating the staff into those being let go and those being offered redeployment, CDPR is clearly attempting to retain institutional knowledge while shedding the overhead associated with a project that has yet to reach a definitive release trajectory.

Supporting Data and Industry Context

The gaming industry has been trapped in a "correction cycle" since late 2022, characterized by mass layoffs, studio closures, and the cancellation of dozens of projects. The move by CD Projekt Red is not an isolated incident; rather, it reflects a broader industry-wide shift away from the "growth at all costs" mentality that dominated the post-pandemic market.

On the same day that the Project Sirius news broke, reports surfaced regarding another major player, Supermassive Games, which announced its own round of layoffs potentially impacting up to 75 staff members. When viewed in the context of the thousands of jobs lost across the industry in 2026 alone, the Project Sirius reduction highlights a critical trend: developers are increasingly prioritizing "safe" bets—established IPs and proven mechanics—over experimental multiplayer ventures that require long-term, high-cost investment.

For Project Sirius, the math is becoming increasingly difficult. A 28% reduction in staff during the middle stages of production suggests a shift toward a more conservative development roadmap. Whether this is intended to prepare the game for a "soft launch" or a permanent shelving remains a point of intense speculation among analysts.

Official Responses from CD Projekt Red

In a direct statement to the press, a spokesperson for CD Projekt Red articulated the company’s rationale:

"We adjusted the size of the Sirius team to reflect the project’s needs at this stage of development. As a result, four people in Boston and five in Warsaw are leaving the company, while nine others have been invited to internal recruitment processes for potential roles on other CD Projekt Red projects."

The language used here—"reflect the project’s needs"—is standard corporate terminology for downsizing. However, it also signals a clear intention to move away from the "all-hands-on-deck" approach that defined the project’s early days. By offering redeployment to half of the affected staff, CDPR is signaling that they still value the talent involved, even if the current scope of Project Sirius cannot accommodate their roles. This is often an attempt to mitigate the reputational damage that typically follows news of layoffs, aiming to position the company as a steward of its workforce even during difficult financial periods.

Implications: What This Means for the Future

The implications of this latest round of layoffs are threefold:

1. The Uncertain Future of Project Sirius

With the team down to approximately 60 people, Project Sirius is officially a leaner, more focused operation. If the goal was to create a massive, genre-defining multiplayer experience, this reduction may signal that the project has been scaled down to a more manageable, perhaps smaller, scope. The risk, of course, is that further thinning of the ranks could lead to "feature creep" or, worse, a loss of the unique identity that initially set the game apart.

2. CDPR’s Strategic Focus

CD Projekt Red is currently balancing multiple high-profile projects, including the next mainline Witcher entry (Polaris) and a new IP (Hadar). Resources are finite. By trimming the fat on Project Sirius, the studio is essentially declaring its priorities. The core Witcher single-player experience remains the company’s "North Star," and auxiliary projects like Sirius are clearly secondary, subject to immediate cuts whenever the bottom line demands it.

3. The Human Cost of "Rescoping"

Beyond the spreadsheets and development roadmaps, there is the human element. The iterative cycle of hiring, rescoping, and laying off staff creates an environment of constant instability. For the developers at The Molasses Flood and the wider CDPR team, the past three years have been defined by uncertainty. This affects morale, productivity, and the ability to attract top-tier talent in an increasingly competitive market.

Conclusion

The story of Project Sirius is a microcosm of the modern AAA gaming industry: ambitious beginnings, significant capital investment, and the brutal reality of market corrections. While CD Projekt Red continues to insist that the project is moving forward, the steady reduction in staff and the recurring need for "rescoping" suggest that the road to release is far from clear.

As the studio navigates these challenging waters, the industry will be watching closely. Whether Project Sirius ultimately emerges as a success or becomes another casualty of the "correction era" remains to be seen. For now, the focus is on the 18 individuals whose roles have been impacted—a reminder that behind every patch note and press release are the careers and livelihoods of the people who build these digital worlds.