Gaming, like any art form, thrives on innovation, imagination, and, importantly, the undying passion of its creators. At the center of this magical world, developers at CD Projekt RED, the wizards behind The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, which collectively has sold more than 100 million units already, found themselves facing another daunting boss level: three consecutive layoffs in three months.
For any layman, it's a glance at some numbers on a financial report. For those immersed in the gaming industry, it's a tumultuous reality that shakes the very core of video game development - its people.
CD Projekt Red isn't just another developer; it's a powerhouse that holds a special place among gamers for taking a proactive stance against DRM software and creating award-winning games. That's what makes the recent sequence of layoffs even more interesting.
As CDPR celebrates a financial win with the release of Phantom Liberty, the Polish Gamedev Workers Union, abbreviated as PGWU, was also born. It's the result of collective sentiments, uniting workers in their shared predicaments. This isn't a fight but a dialogue, a communion aimed at job security, fair treatment, and transparency. The union's inception wasn't knee-jerk reaction to the layoffs. It was a move towards establishing a dialogue, a voice with muscle, representing the silent challenges, the dreams, the aspirations of those building the digital realms we so adore.
