The Witcher 3 PS5, Xbox Series S/X Versions 'Indefinitely' Delayed as CD Projekt Red Moves Development From Russia

The Witcher 3 has been delayed for PS5 and Xbox Series S/X. On Thursday, its Polish developer CD Projekt Red said it was moving development back in-house, and as a result, had to indefinitely postpone the release of its blockbuster game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for next-generation consoles.

The version, which was originally scheduled to launch late last year and was then delayed to second quarter of 2022, was outsourced to Saber Interactive's Russia office, part of Sweden's Embracer Group.

CD Projekt Red did not give a reason for the move. Back in February, CD Projekt Red had condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and halted sales of its games and services in Russia. The Polish company and Embracer were not immediately available for comment.

"We are currently evaluating the scope of work to be done and thus have to postpone Q2 release until further notice," the Polish company said late on Wednesday on Twitter.

Jefferies analyst Ken Rumph wrote in a note that while the financial impact of the delay may be small, given it was a free upgrade for existing game owners, a second delay and in-housing came as a surprise.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt premiered in 2015 to critical acclaim and helped the Polish studio gain worldwide recognition. It sold over 30 million copies, CD Projekt Red said last year.

Since late 2020, CD Projekt Red has had a rocky time after the troubled roll out of its second franchise with Cyberpunk 2077.

In a bid to rebuild investor confidence, CD Projekt Red has been working to transform its studio so it can start producing high-budget games in parallel from 2022.

It released the next-gen version of Cyberpunk 2077 in February.

© Thomson Reuters 2022