CD Projekt Red’s Project Hadar Steps Into Pre-Development

CD Projekt Red, the studio behind The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077, has quietly taken a major step with its mysterious new IP, internally codenamed Project Hadar. After spending years defining the foundations of this original universe, the team has now begun early pre-development, building prototypes directly in Unreal Engine and shifting its focus toward an actual game rather than purely abstract world-building.

For a project that began as an experiment in internal IP creation, this transition marks an important milestone in CD Projekt’s broader strategy to diversify beyond its existing fantasy and sci-fi pillars. While the studio is still cautious in how it describes the current phase, investors and fans now have a clearer sense of where Hadar stands and what it means for the future of the company’s portfolio.

From Idea to IP: How Project Hadar Began

Project Hadar is not just a single game concept – it is an entire original universe designed to stand alongside The Witcher and Cyberpunk. CD Projekt first referenced the project publicly in a strategy update, explaining that work had started on a new internal IP conceived entirely within the studio, rather than based on licensed source material or tabletop rulesets.¹

At that stage, Hadar was firmly in the conceptual phase. The focus was on answering foundation-level questions:

• What kind of world and themes will define the IP?
• How will its tone differ from the existing franchises?
• What long-term potential does the universe have for multiple projects?
• How can it fit into CD Projekt’s multi-franchise strategy without cannibalizing current brands?

According to the company’s earlier strategy communications, this initial work involved a relatively small, dedicated team exploring ideas, building mood boards, and defining the DNA of the setting.¹ Only once those foundations were locked in did the project become ready to step toward concrete game design.

What “Early Pre-Development” Means for Hadar

In the most recent earnings conference, CD Projekt’s leadership confirmed that Hadar has progressed beyond pure idea generation. The studio now describes the project as being in early pre-development, with its IP framework established and its attention increasingly directed toward the first game built in this universe.

Several key points were highlighted in the update:

• The team has set the core IP foundations – things like lore pillars, thematic direction, and world logic.
• Developers are designing specific gameplay and narrative elements that could appear in the eventual game.
• Multiple prototypes are being created and iterated upon in Unreal Engine.

The wording from CD Projekt’s co-CEO suggests that the studio is still intentionally avoiding calling this a full development phase. Instead, it occupies the middle ground between abstract IP creation and the rigorous planning of full-scale production. In practice, that means rapid experimentation and a willingness to discard ideas that don’t work once tested in-engine.

IP Foundations vs. Game Production

To understand where Hadar is, it helps to separate two overlapping but distinct streams of work:

Project Hadar has now crossed from the left column into the right: the universe has a defined identity, and the initial game is becoming the focus of concrete design work and technical prototyping.

Why CD Projekt Is Betting on a Third Franchise

CD Projekt already maintains two massive IP ecosystems in The Witcher and Cyberpunk. Launching a third universe is not a trivial choice, especially for a company that has publicly committed to reducing risk and improving production pipelines following the troubled launch of Cyberpunk 2077.²

This move fits squarely into a multi-franchise strategy that CD Projekt has articulated in investor presentations and corporate communications.¹ Several motivations stand out:

• Diversification: A new IP reduces reliance on the performance of any single franchise and allows CD Projekt to weather fluctuating demand between fantasy and sci-fi.
• Internal Ownership: Unlike The Witcher, which is based on Andrzej Sapkowski's novels, Hadar is wholly owned and originated by CD Projekt, giving the company more control over adaptations, licensing, and cross-media expansion.
• Long-Term Roadmap: The company has framed its future around multiple large-scale projects running in parallel, with North American studios and additional teams contributing to different pillars over time.¹
• Creative Freedom: A blank-slate universe enables teams to explore genres, structures, and themes that might feel out of place in the existing IPs.

At the same time, introducing a third major IP increases management complexity, especially in terms of staffing, scheduling, and quality assurance. That makes the cautious, prototype-heavy approach to Hadar a logical attempt to control risk before committing full production resources.

Unreal Engine and Prototyping for a New Universe

Hadar is being built using Unreal Engine, reflecting CD Projekt’s broader shift away from its internal REDengine for future large-scale projects. In 2022, the company publicly announced a long-term partnership with Epic Games, under which future titles – including the next Witcher saga – will leverage Unreal Engine 5.³

For a nascent IP like Hadar, that engine choice has several important consequences:

• Faster prototyping: Teams can quickly assemble greybox levels, test mechanics, and experiment with lighting and atmosphere using existing tools and marketplace assets.
• Shared technology: Core tech solutions, tools, and workflows developed for other Unreal-based CD Projekt projects can be reused, reducing duplication of effort.
• Visual fidelity: Features like Nanite and Lumen give the team high-end rendering capabilities from the start, which is especially valuable when shaping the visual identity of a brand-new world.

Prototyping in-engine does more than validate mechanics. It also exposes practical constraints around performance, production complexity, and content scaling – all critical factors in deciding what Hadar's first game can realistically achieve within a reasonable timeframe.

How Hadar Fits Among CD Projekt’s Other Projects

Hadar is not being developed in a vacuum. CD Projekt has publicly confirmed a packed slate, including a new Witcher saga, a Cyberpunk sequel, and a remake of the original The Witcher in collaboration with external partners.^1,2 The studio has also cited internal headcount figures showing hundreds of developers assigned to its flagship projects at different times.

Recent breakdowns shared during earnings calls and corporate updates highlight a few broader trends:

• Witcher projects currently absorb the largest share of developers, reflecting the strategic importance of the fantasy franchise.
• The Cyberpunk sequel has transitioned from concept to pre-production, steadily pulling more staff.
• Project Hadar is handled by a much smaller team, which is typical for early pre-development where agility and iteration matter more than raw manpower.

This structure allows CD Projekt to keep Hadar moving forward without pulling disproportionate resources away from its proven franchises. It also suggests that, in the near term, updates on Hadar may remain sporadic as the company prioritizes milestones for better-known brands.

Parallel Development and Studio Expansion

CD Projekt has been expanding its presence in North America and integrating more global teams to support parallel development on multiple large projects. In its strategy update, the company outlined plans to run several AAA productions simultaneously and extend its IPs into other media like TV and film.¹

In this context, an internally-owned IP like Hadar can eventually become part of the same multi-channel ecosystem, though any talk of adaptations is far in the future. For now, the priority is nailing down a compelling core experience that justifies building a franchise around it.

What Fans Can and Can’t Infer About Hadar Yet

Despite the latest progress update, very little is known publicly about the creative specifics of Project Hadar. CD Projekt has not announced:

• The game's genre (beyond general assumptions that it will be narrative-focused and likely open-world).
• Whether it leans toward fantasy, sci-fi, horror, or a hybrid.
• A release window, or even a formal announcement of the game's title.
• Any platform details, though the use of Unreal and timing suggests PC and current-generation consoles are likely.

What is clear, however, is the stage of development and the studio's attitude toward managing expectations. By placing Hadar in early pre-development and stressing that multiple prototypes are being evaluated, CD Projekt is signaling that nothing is set in stone, and that major components may still change before the project locks into a final direction.

Risks, Lessons, and the Cautious Road Ahead

CD Projekt's experience with Cyberpunk 2077 has visibly shaped its communication and production planning. After the game's problematic launch and subsequent extensive updates, the company committed to more robust testing, more realistic timelines, and a stronger focus on long-term reputation.²

Hadar benefits from these lessons in several ways:

• Prototype-heavy approach: Early in-engine experimentation should help catch design and scope issues before full production ramps up.
• Staggered staffing: Maintaining a relatively small, focused team in early phases allows for rapid pivoting without the cost of redoing work across hundreds of staff.
• Transparency with investors, not oversharing with players: The company offers high-level progress reports to stakeholders while avoiding specific promises that could backfire if plans change.

On the other hand, a new IP always carries inherent risk. It lacks the guaranteed audience of an established brand, marketing must work harder to define its identity, and early missteps can be costly. By treating this pre-development phase as a testing ground, CD Projekt is attempting to maximize the odds that the final version of Hadar's first game will justify a multi-project future.

Frequently Asked Questions About Project Hadar

What Project Hadar Signals for CD Projekt’s Future

Project Hadar's move into early pre-development is more than just a status update on a secretive game. It encapsulates CD Projekt's attempt to:

• Balance multiple major franchises at once.
• Leverage shared technology and workflows through Unreal Engine.
• Apply lessons from previous launches to reduce risk.
• Grow an internally-owned IP that could eventually span games, media, and merchandise.

While players may not get concrete details about Hadar's story, setting, or mechanics for some time, the confirmation that the project has progressed beyond purely conceptual work is a reassuring sign for those interested in seeing CD Projekt explore new creative territory. For now, the studio's challenge is to quietly refine its prototypes, validate its ideas, and decide what shape this new universe should take when it finally steps into the spotlight.