Summary
CD Projekt’s CEOs, Michal Nowakowski and Adam Badowski, recently opened up about how difficult things were long beforeThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntbecame a smash hit, revealing that they even had to sleep under their desks at one point. Nowadays,The Witcher 3: Wild Huntis such a staple in the video game industry that it’s hard to imagine a time when it wasn’t. However, like many other success stories, CD Projekt’s CEOs had to struggle quite a bit in the beginning.
There are plenty of examples ofgames that started humbly and became major success stories, though this is more commonly associated with the indie scene. These are titles that made waves and, in some cases, redefined certain aspects of the industry, likeStardew Valley,Celeste, or, more recently,Balatro. However, one would hardly expect a major franchise likeThe Witcherto have had a similar start—though there are countless examples of this phenomenon. Now, two key figures inThe Witcherfranchise’s development journey have shared details about their struggles before success.
CD Projekt’s CEOs, Michal Nowakowski and Adam Badowski, reflected on the challenges they faced before the franchise took off—long beforeThe Witcher 3’s tremendous success. Speakingto XYZ, they revealed that, around the time the studio was developing the firstWitchergame, they would often sleep under their desks at the office. According to them, the workspace was chaotic. “Nostalgia is treacherous,” Nowakowski said, admitting that he sometimes remembers things as better than they actually were. However, he also added that “the feeling of being an underdog was very motivating.”
BeforeCD Projekt Red became the powerhouse it is today, the CEOs had to work hard to earn their place in the industry, emphasizing how much the studio has grown since then. At the time, they were seen as insignificant—to the point where a potential business partner didn’t even want to meet with them. “We reported to the reception desk, and through the wall, we could hear our interlocutor telling the secretary to say he was out,” Nowakowski recalled. Now, as a major industry player, they no longer face that kind of dismissal, having since evolved into highly respected figures in the gaming world.
Many years later, the studio would go on to develop arguably its most important title, theenduring and still-relevantThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. And now, with CD Projekt working on the next entry in the franchise—marking the beginning of a new trilogy inThe Witcher—the days of sleeping under desks are long behind the company’s CEOs.
