LogInIn light of The Witcher card game transitioning to a community-driven model, the studio has made the decision to lay off approximately 30 employees who were involved in its development.
CD Projekt Red has issued a statement via the official GWENT website, revealing the upcoming wave of layoffs. The studio confirmed that approximately 30 employees involved in the development of the card game will depart by the end of the year, as support for the game gradually winds down.
In December last year, the studio announced a transition in the development of GWENT towards a community-based approach, with the team assuring fans that the game will continue to be available for years to come. The developer will continue to release "official" updates until the end of 2023. Following this, players will assume a direct role in shaping and determining the game's future changes.
According to CDPR's recent announcement, the decision to hand over the game to the community resulted in the studio parting ways with some team members. The developer noted that some workers had been recently reassigned to other projects, however, it still had to say goodbye to 30 GWENT team members.
"It’s never easy to say goodbye," the studio wrote in the blog post. "And even though decisions like this are unavoidable and a natural result of the transition, we’d like to express our sincere thanks for all the contributions these team members have made to GWENT. Just like the community, you helped make the game what it is today."
In a statement to IGN, a spokesperson from CD Projekt Red said that four employees will be departing the studio in June, with the number gradually increasing over the course of the year until approximately 30 staff members have been laid off in total.
CD Projekt Red's recent announcement regarding layoffs comes after two previous rounds of staff reductions. Earlier, it was revealed that the Polish company had dissolved Spokko, the studio responsible for developing The Witcher: Monster Hunter mobile game. Additionally, cuts were made at The Molasses Flood, the team working on the Witcher game codenamed Project Sirius.
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