Strange New Things

What Strange New Things does

CD PROJEKT RED is a private video game development studio operating as the game development arm of CD PROJEKT Group. The studio focuses on story-driven role-playing games, with a portfolio anchored by The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077. It employs over 1,000 creative professionals distributed across five studio locations — three in Poland (Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław) and two in North America (Vancouver, Canada and Boston, USA). The studio differentiates itself through an explicitly independent posture, non-annualized development cycles, and a stated commitment to storytelling quality over release cadence.

The studio's core technology is centered on narrative-driven RPG game engines supporting both third-person and first-person role-playing experiences, alongside adjacent genres such as card games. It has built a proprietary Story-Driven RPG Framework emphasizing deep narrative systems and interactive storytelling. Distribution is multi-channel: games are sold globally through major digital storefronts (Steam, GOG), physical retail, and a first-party merchandise e-commerce store (gear.cdprojektred.com). Marketing and community engagement are conducted through a content blog, the AnsweRED Podcast, and active social channels on TikTok and Twitch. The studio is currently developing The Witcher 4, with internal team members publicly identified on the project as of mid-2026.

Revenue is generated almost exclusively through one-time software license sales of full games and premium expansion content (such as The Witcher 3's celebrated Blood and Wine expansion), with no subscription, freemium, or live-service model disclosed. Pricing follows standard AAA retail pricing with paid expansion packs and DLC. The customer base is purely consumer-oriented, segmented as a single horizontal persona of "Video Game Enthusiasts" seeking narrative depth and open-world exploration. No enterprise customers, B2B contracts, or named institutional buyers appear in the data, and revenue concentration risk is correspondingly low, though the business model inherently produces lumpy revenue tied to discrete major releases.

Name

Strange New Things

Legal name

CD PROJEKT RED

Website

https://strangenewthings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CD PROJEKT RED is a private AAA video game studio developing story-driven role-playing games (The Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077, and the in-development The Witcher 4). It employs over 1,000 people across five studios in Poland, Canada, and the USA, and sells games directly to global consumers through digital storefronts, retail, and its own merchandise store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Video Games

NAICS

Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (339930), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120)

SIC

Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

AAA & Premium Game Studios (PC/Console) (MPAFAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

PC & Console Game Distribution Platforms (BPAMAKAA), Physical Game Distribution & Retail (Boxed Games, Wholesale, Merchandising) (MPAFABAC)

Keywords

• Video game development
• Story-driven RPGs
• Open world games
• AAA game studio
• Game publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Wroclaw

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Video Game Sales: One-time purchase revenue from full game releases, expansion packs, and downloadable content (DLC). Games are sold as complete titles with premium expansion content such as 'Blood and Wine' for The Witcher 3.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CD PROJEKT RED is a video game development studio that creates and publishes premium story-driven role-playing games (RPGs) such as The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077, including base titles, expansion packs, and downloadable content. The studio designs, develops, and distributes AAA games directly to consumers through digital storefronts and retail channels, while also operating a branded merchandise e-commerce store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Witcher Series
• Cyberpunk 2077
• CD PROJEKT RED Gear Store

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Obsidian Entertainment: Developer of The Outer Worlds, Pillars of Eternity, and Avowed. Direct peer in story-driven, choice-rich RPGs for PC/console, serving a closely overlapping enthusiast segment.
• Larian Studios: Belgian studio behind Baldur's Gate 3 and the Divinity series. Directly comparable to CD PROJEKT RED as an independent, story-driven RPG developer competing for the same narrative-RPG enthusiast segment on PC/console.
• FromSoftware: Japanese developer of Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and Armored Core. Direct peer in the premium, story/atmosphere-driven console/PC RPG space and a leading competitor for hardcore RPG audiences.
• BioWare: Developer of Mass Effect and Dragon Age. Direct peer as a studio built around story-driven RPG franchises on PC/console, competing for the same narrative-RPG player base.
• Bethesda Game Studios: Developer of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises. A direct peer given its open-world, narrative-heavy RPG output for PC/console, targeting the same high-end single-player RPG consumer.

Broad incumbents

• Rockstar Games: Developer of Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. Comparable as a top-tier AAA studio producing massive open-world narrative games, though broader in scope and operating under a larger publisher umbrella.
• Naughty Dog: Sony-owned developer of The Last of Us and Uncharted. Comparable as a premier AAA studio focused on cinematic, narrative-driven single-player console titles with similar production values and storytelling emphasis.
• Santa Monica Studio: PlayStation Studios developer of God of War. Comparable as a Sony-owned AAA studio producing high-budget, single-player, narrative-driven action-RPGs for console.
• Guerrilla Games: PlayStation Studios developer of Horizon Zero Dawn/Forbidden West. Comparable AAA studio delivering open-world action-RPGs on console with strong narrative framing.

Emerging players

• Crystal Dynamics: Developer of Tomb Raider and a leading studio on Marvel's Avengers. Comparable as a narrative-driven AAA studio producing cinematic single-player adventure/RPG-style titles, though with a more mixed recent track record.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• TikToktiktok.com/@cdprojektred
• Xx.com/sn_things

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Strange New Things