For the first time in a long while, CD Projekt RED is finally working on an original IP.
Project Hadar is part of CDPR’s roadmap for the next decade, which includes a full sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 and a new The Witcher trilogy as well as several spin-offs.
According to the studio, the IP has spent the past year in “IP incubation.” A “strike team” is now assigned to think of and conceptualize the game to build its core foundation. This implies Hadar is still not yet in actual development.
Although it might be years before CDPR will give us more substantial info about Hadar, we wouldn’t put it past the studio to fast-track its development.
Keep in mind that CDPR restructured the organization last year to make itself more conducive to parallel game development. This way, instead of waiting to finish working on a game, CDPR could shift resources between multiple studios and bring in new talent when it was necessary. Judging by how many projects CDPR is juggling right now, we’ll see how this management decision will turn out soon enough.
Having said that, we’re curious how CDPR will develop Hadar “from scratch”. It’s CDPR’s first time working on something original.
Keep in mind that The Witcher is based on a Polish fantasy novel series; it’s not original and it’s not the source material for Netflix’s The Witcher live-action adaptation. Also, Cyberpunk 2077 is based on a tabletop RPG.
Hadar is a codename for a third, entirely distinct IP, created from scratch within CDPR. The project is in the earliest stages of the creative process, which means we are not developing any game yet, but working exclusively on the foundation for this new setting. pic.twitter.com/1LdoXSTniv
— CD PROJEKT RED (@CDPROJEKTRED) October 4, 2022
It’s not clear what kind of game Hadar will be, but we’d be surprised if it isn’t an open-world RPG. However, since The Witcher already has the fantasy setting covered while Cyberpunk is set in a dystopian future, we’re excited to find out just how CDPR will make Hadar unique and stand out from its brethren. Who knows? CDPR might go for a modern-day setting for Hadar.
