## CD Projekt Red Restructures Project Sirius Team Amid Recent Layoffs
The landscape at CD Projekt Red is shifting once again as the studio behind *The Witcher* and *Cyberpunk 2077* implements a reduction in its workforce. Recent reports indicate that nine staff members have been let go, specifically impacting the development team currently building the multiplayer-focused *Witcher* title, known internally as Project Sirius.
### Strategic Realignment at the Studio
A spokesperson for the Polish gaming giant clarified that the layoffs were geographically split, affecting four employees based in the Boston office and five located in Poland. In an effort to retain talent, the company noted that an additional nine individuals affected by these changes have been encouraged to interview for open positions elsewhere within the organization.
The studio framed these departures as a necessary evolution of their production pipeline. “We adjusted the size of the Sirius team to reflect the project’s needs at this stage of development,” the representative stated, suggesting that the current phase of the game’s lifecycle requires a different resource allocation than its initial conceptualization.
### Contextualizing the Workforce Shift
To understand the scale of these changes, it is helpful to look at the company’s broader footprint. As of mid-2026, CD Projekt Red maintained a global workforce exceeding 1,300 professionals. With primary development hubs in Warsaw and Boston, alongside various satellite offices across Europe and Canada, the studio remains one of the industry’s largest employers.
Project Sirius represents a significant pillar in the company’s future roadmap. The project was first unveiled in 2022, following CD Projekt’s 2021 acquisition of The Molasses Flood, the studio previously recognized for titles like *The Flame in the Flood*. Since that acquisition, the studio has been fully integrated into the CD Projekt ecosystem, officially ceasing operations as an independent entity last year.
### Industry Trends and Studio Stability
This move comes at a time when the broader gaming industry is grappling with fluctuating development cycles and the need for leaner, more agile teams. Much like the recent industry-wide trend of studio closures and staff reductions-such as those seen at Netflix’s gaming divisions or shifts in streaming platform policies-CD Projekt Red is navigating the complexities of balancing long-term ambitious projects with current operational realities.
Related: Scabby versus Sharma, Twitch’s GenAI admission, and Netflix shutters more studios – Patch Notes #65
