CD Projekt Red CEO Michael Nowakowski claimed that his company hires based on merit despite having a scholarship program that excludes men.
A screenshot from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015), CD Projekt Red
Nowakowski’s comments came in response to a video from YouTuber Endymion, where he alleged that a source informed him “that CD Projekt Red is in absolute chaos right now based on who actually is stil working there that used to work on the previous games.”
He added, “Apparently lts of senior talent has already left CD Projekt Red. For example, the director of Witcher 3 has long left the studio. And they’ve already created their own studio with their own new game as well. Apparently, places like Warhorse Studios, the makers of Kingdom Deliverance, they have actually been poaching talent from CD Projekt Red like crazy these past few years.”
He also noted, “I was told that problems that are plaguing Ubisoft like diversity hires are also starting to damage and ruin CD Projekt Red as well. According to that other source, CD Projekt has begun to rely heavily on outsourcing to contractors to help with their games because the new talent that they have is nowhere near where they need them to be right now.”
“I was told the reason why the next Witcher is using Unreal Engine instead of the Red Engine that previous games did is largely because most of the senior talent that worked and understood the Red Engine are not at CD anymore and Unreal is more of a one size fits all engine that many devs are familiar with these days,” he added.
Endymion then reiterated, “As I am told, CD Projekt Red right now is a very tough spot and they’re apparently hoping that their pedigree is going to carry these games to millions in sales.”
A screenshot from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015), CD Projekt Red
In response to this video, Nowakowski posted on X, “Seems we live in times where anyone can record complete nonsense and make a story out of it. CDPR talent leaving? We have the lowest rotation of people in recent years.”
He continued, “DEI-driven recruitment? We hire based on merit and talent alone, just as we make games driven by artistic vision alone.”
A screenshot from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015), CD Projekt Red
Next, he addressed why the company chose Unreal, “Why did we choose UE? Because it enables us to work on our games more efficiently and we remain cutting edge tech-wise.”
He then admitted that Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, the director of The Witcher 3 did leave the company, “The Witcher 3’s director left? Well, yeah, more than 2 years ago… Now, can we stop looking for conspiracy theories and go back to making cool stuff?”
Michał Nowakowski on X
Regarding top talent leaving CD Projekt Red, Reddit user Aguscc extracted a ton of information from a LegacyKillaHD video that detailed that at least 11 directors and department leads left CD Projekt Red back in 2021 following the release of Cyberpunk 2077.
That talent included Studio Head and Executive Producer John Mamais, The Witcher 3 Game Director Konrad Tomaskiewicz, The Witcher 3 Quest Director Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz, Cinematic Director Pawel Swierczynski, Head of Production Piotr Krzywonosiuk, Principal Engine Programmer Balazs Torok, Lead Animator Jamie Bury, Creative Director Sebastian Stepien, Senior Producer Dominika Gonsierowska, Engine Director Tomasz Jonarski, and Art Director Katarzyna Redesiuk.
The company does indeed recruit talent based on DEI initiatives as well. The company’s Diversity & Inclusion page on its website states, “Our purpose is to create revolutionary role-playing games with memorable stories that inspire gamers. We can only deliver on these goals and promises with an amazing, passionate team whose talents and professional skills reflect the breadth of experience in the world. A diverse and inclusive work environment boosts creativity and innovation, which is exactly what we need in order to push the limits of technology and storytelling.”
A screenshot of the Diversity & Inclusion page on CD Projekt Red’s website
Furthermore, the web page also reveals the company engages in “Equitable Practices” a far cry from the claim it hires based on merit and talent.
The page states, “We’re not afraid to stand for what we believe in. By implementing inclusive benefits and creating a space where everyone can be themselves, we create a positive example for other companies and help effect positive social change.”
Furthermore, it adds, “Healthy teams are ones where all team members feel good, valued, and safe — and these are the teams we want to empower inside RED by introducing various initiatives.”
A screenshot of the Diversity & Inclusion page on CD Projekt Red’s website
One of those initiatives is called The Diversity Charter. CD Projekt Red explains, “We’re among the companies that signed the Diversity Charter (Karta Różnorodności), a document committing to non-discrimination in the workplace as well as to the introduction of policies that create and promote diversity. We were also listed as one of the top employers in Poland in terms of managing diversity and inclusion.”
Furthermore, the company also boasts that it is “committed to promoting social change and being an example of it. All of our efforts aimed at meeting this goal can be found here.”
Finally, one of the initiatives also includes a scholarship program that excludes men from participating through a partnership with Girls in the Game!
A screenshot from Cyberpunk 2077 (2020), CD Projekt Red
What do you make of Nowakowski’s comments?
NEXT: ‘Witcher’ Developer CD Projekt Red Announces 4th Edition Of Scholarship Program That Excludes Men
