CD Projekt Red has released what it describes as an “important development update” on Project Hadar, and if you were hoping for a trailer, a setting reveal, or literally any concrete detail about what this game actually is, you are going to be disappointed.
What the update confirms is that the team working on Hadar has “established the foundations” of the new franchise. The language is deliberate in how little it commits to. Foundations could mean a playable vertical slice. It could mean a design document and a shared Slack channel. There is no way to know from the outside.
Project Hadar is noteworthy because it represents CD Projekt Red’s first attempt to build a third franchise alongside The Witcher and Cyberpunk. It is being developed by what CDPR describes as a separate team, distinct from those working on The Witcher 4 (Polaris) and the next Cyberpunk game. The studio has expanded considerably since the difficult period following Cyberpunk 2077’s launch, so having multiple teams running simultaneously is more plausible than it once was.
The question worth asking is whether this is actually a good idea right now. Witcher 4 is CDPR’s most anticipated project. Cyberpunk 2 carries the weight of the franchise’s rehabilitation following 2077’s rocky debut. Both of those need to land well. Simultaneously building an entirely new IP from scratch, one with no existing fanbase, no established lore, and none of the goodwill that Geralt and V carry, is a significant bet.
Studios that try to run three major franchises concurrently often find the strain shows up in the work. CDPR is not a small outfit any more, but managing creative ambition across three distinct worlds is a different challenge than having one flagship title at a time.
Project Hadar may turn out to be something remarkable. Right now it is a codename and a carefully worded progress report. Ask again in a few years.
