Cyberpunk 2077 Maker CD Projekt Red Shuts Down Rumours That Sony May Be Acquiring It

gadgets.ndtv.com:

CD Projekt Red, creators of The Witcher games and Cyberpunk 2077, has dismissed claims that it will be acquired by Sony. Rumours about the acquisition started floating around recently, as Sony reportedly signalled that it was looking to bolster its acquisition game at a ‘completely new level.' The rumour emerged from a Discord post by leaker Liz, who largely specialises in Destiny-based content, claiming that PlayStation has been planning to buy CD Projekt Red and that Days Gone 2 is in development. The latter claim also got shut down by Days Gone director Jeff Ross, who alluded that Sony ‘doesn't seem to care for it.'

“Nothing has changed on our end,” CD Projekt Red CEO Adam Kiciński, replied to an attendee during the company's Q1 2023 earnings conference. “So, I can repeat what we have been saying throughout the years… CD Projekt is not for sale. We want to remain independent. We have, I believe an excellent strategy. Not easy to execute, for sure, but it's very exciting to follow our own path. So it's a pure rumour.” For now, CD Projekt Red has multiple projects in development, so acquisition rumours don't seem as farfetched — a takeover would likely grant them additional resources to hit those deadlines. Coming in first is Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty expansion, which will likely be playable at the Summer Game Fest's Play Days event.

Earlier this month, upcoming The Witcher multiplayer game — codenamed Sirius — underwent a major overhaul, leading to a developmental restart and 29 layoffs at The Molasses Flood (the leading developer on the title). A bit before that, CD Projekt Red filed an impairment charge on the game, which normally suggests writing off assets when they serve near-zero value to the company.