This month marked a decade since the release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. During this milestone, CD Projekt Red’s CEO, Michal Nowakowski, sat down for an interview with PC Gamer, where he reflected on the company’s history and the obstacles it faced.

Nowakowski highlighted the challenges the company encountered in 2008, during the global financial crisis. At that time, some team members feared the studio could be forced to close its doors, despite the success of the first game in the Witcher series the previous year, which, while profitable, did not compare to the later success of The Witcher 3.

Between 2008 and 2011, particularly until the release of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, the company’s primary concern was maintaining financial stability. Nowakowski described this period as “a very tricky time for the company.”

“For me personally, the early days were all about asking, ‘How do we avoid being annihilated?’” he said.

In the end, CD Projekt Red not only survived but thrived, producing two critically acclaimed games: The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077. These titles continue to generate revenue and recognition for the studio. Currently, the company is developing several new projects, including The Witcher 4 and a sequel to Cyberpunk.