The Witcher Co-Op Game Facing Layoffs Again

Four Years After Its Reveal, Co-Op Witcher Game Hit With Even More Layoffs Published Aug 12, 2026, 11:10 AM EDT James Lucas is an Executive Editor at TheGamer who has worked in professional journalism since 2018. A Newcastle University graduate with a degree in Journalism, Media, and Culture, they have written hundreds of guides, news stories, and original reports, with bylines in IGN, NME, GaymingMag, and VG247, sourcing interviews with studio heads, legendary industry figures, prominent actors, and more. An expert on FPS games, Soulslikes, RPGs, and survival horror, James has intimate knowledge of a wide variety of titles, providing in-depth coverage and exclusive profiles. Some of the games they have extensively covered include: Half-Life 3, Counter-Strike, Elden Ring, and Fallout. They pride themselves on their consistently thorough research, leveraging nearly a decade of industry experience. You can reach them at James.t@thegamer.com Sign in to your TheGamer account CD Projekt Red announced a new multiplayer game in 2022 called Project Sirius, "an innovative take on The Witcher universe telling an unforgettable story," but just a year later, 29 devs were laid off and development was rebooted. We haven't heard much about the game in the years since, but according to Kotaku, the team is once again facing layoffs. Nine individuals have reportedly been let go today, with a further nine moved to other projects within CDPR. While this paints a troubling picture, it's claimed that Sirius was doing well prior to the layoffs, with acclaimed Destiny 2 writer Kwan Perng attached as lead writer. However, now that 18 devs have been let go or moved to other projects, it's unclear whether that sentiment still holds true. Details On Project Sirius Are Scarce We can only speculate on how these layoffs will impact development and the team at large, as even four years removed from its announcement, we know very little about the game. All we know for certain is that it's a story-driven, co-op multiplayer spin-off set in The Witcher universe. There were leaks earlier this year in June, when mp1st claimed to have acquired information on an unannounced PC and mobile Witcher game set in 1230 - when Geralt was still a young witcher. Supposedly, the game will feature a customizable character, the usual monster contracts, a skill-based system, and combat typical of The Witcher 3, with dodges, parries, executions, and blocks, lining up with job listings from 2023. Those job listings described Sirius as a "stylized game" with "branching and non-linear storytelling," as well as boasting (again, typical of the series) "cinematic storytelling and voiced dialogue." It noted that CDPR was looking for someone to implement "various game modes, player progression, and social systems," with hints to a class system. Though with the last round of layoffs preceding a reboot, the current state of Project Sirius is unknown. CD Projekt Red has not yet commented on the layoffs.