CDPR's Mysterious New IP 'Hadar' Just Hit a Huge Milestone

CD Projekt RED says its original IP codenamed Hadar has finished world-building, making it the studio's biggest project ever — bigger than The Witcher and Cyberpunk.

CD Projekt RED is cooking up something massive, and it's not The Witcher or Cyberpunk. According to Polish outlet PAP Biznes, co-CEO Michał Nowakowski revealed that the studio's fully original IP, codenamed "Hadar," has officially wrapped its world-building phase.

If you're wondering how big we're talking, the answer is: huge. Hadar is described as CDPR's largest undertaking to date, bigger than both The Witcher and Cyberpunk. The team has spent years on it and now has a coherent world vision and key elements locked in.

Before you get too hyped for a release date, temper those expectations a little. The project isn't in pre-production yet. Right now the team is building small prototypes and testing gameplay elements. But finishing world-building means the project has moved from pure concept exploration into a more concrete development prep stage.

Hadar was first announced back in October 2022 as CDPR's first fully self-owned IP, completely separate from The Witcher and Cyberpunk universes. Nowakowski noted that everything the team learned from The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 will feed into building this new world.

That's not all the CEO had to share. He also gave updates on several other projects. The Witcher 3 continues to sell above expectations following its remake release. The Witcher 4 is targeting PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, with the goal of "pushing the boundaries of the RPG genre."

The Witcher universe multiplayer game, codenamed Sirius, has had its team size adjusted based on its current development stage. And a new Witcher 3 expansion is planned for 2027, with a scale close to Blood and Wine.

On the physical media front, CDPR confirmed it won't abandon boxed releases. Even if future discs only contain download codes, the studio will still put out physical packaging with extras. So collectors, you're covered.

With Hadar still deep in prototyping, it'll be a while before we see anything concrete. But knowing CDPR is aiming bigger than ever with a brand-new world is pretty exciting. What kind of setting would you want to see from a fully original CDPR RPG? Let us know!