According to KitGuru.net, a financial analysis from Mateusz Chrzanowski at Noble Securities claims CD Projekt is planning a third, paid expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for a May 2026 release. This supposed DLC would cost $30 and is projected to sell 11 million copies in its first year, generating revenue to fund the marketing for The Witcher 4 (codenamed Polaris), which is now forecast for Q4 2027. The production budget for Polaris alone is estimated at a massive 1.4 billion PLN (about £290 million). Furthermore, the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, Orion, is predicted for a Q4 2030 launch, with a budget of 1.5 billion PLN, partly due to integrating multiplayer from the start. Other projects, like The Witcher remake and Project Sirius, are reportedly pushed to 2028.
The Bridge DLC Strategy
Here’s the thing: a brand-new, premium DLC for a nine-year-old game in 2026 is a wild concept. But if this analyst is right, the business logic is actually pretty sharp. The Witcher 3 has seen a huge resurgence thanks to the next-gen update and the Netflix series. Releasing a $30 story expansion acts as a perfect narrative and commercial bridge. It keeps the franchise hot, directly funds the insane marketing budget for the next main game, and is a much lower-risk proposition than a full new title. It’s basically using your most beloved asset as a cash cow to fertilize the new field. Clever, if true.
The Staggering Scale and Timeline
But let’s talk about those numbers and dates, because they’re breathtaking. We’re looking at nearly £300 million just to *make* The Witcher 4, with another equal chunk for marketing. That’s AAA gaming at its most extreme. And a six-year window for a whole new trilogy? That feels incredibly ambitious for a studio known for… taking its time. The 2030 date for Cyberpunk 2, while a bummer for fans, makes sense if they’re building multiplayer in from the ground up. That’s the kind of foundational shift that adds years. But 2030? It really drives home how long these blockbuster cycles are now.
Resource Reshuffles and What It Means
The report mentioning other projects being pushed to 2028 is the least surprising part. It’s classic CD Projekt: all hands on deck for the flagship. The Witcher remake and the more experimental Project Sirius get sidelined to ensure Polaris hits its date. This tells us the internal pressure for Witcher 4 is immense. They can’t afford another delay-laden launch. So, everything else becomes secondary. It’s a prudent, if disappointing, prioritization.
Should We Believe The Hype?
Now, a huge caveat: this is all from a financial analyst’s report, not an official announcement. Analysts get insider info, but they also make educated guesses. The Witcher 3 DLC claim is so outlandish it feels like a speculative leap. But the rest of the timeline? The budgets? The delays? That has the ring of cold, hard truth to it. It paints a picture of a studio fully committing to a decade-long plan, with budgets that would make a Hollywood studio blink. Whether it all comes together that neatly is the billion-zloty question.
