After three years of exploratory work, CD Projekt Red has moved its mysterious third franchise past the whiteboard stage. In a financial earnings call this week, joint-CEO Michał Nowakowski revealed that the team behind a project codenamed Hadar has now established the foundations of this entirely new IP
and is actively designing and prototyping specific game elements.
The update marks genuine progress for a project that has been shrouded in secrecy since its 2022 announcement. What little the studio revealed then was that Hadar would be entirely distinct
from its flagship franchises and developed entirely in-house. Beyond that, CD Projekt stayed silent for years, offering only vague reassurances that work was continuing.
The current development phase suggests the project has matured considerably. Nowakowski explained that the team is creating multiple prototypes and implementing them directly in Unreal Engine,
allowing developers to test how potential mechanics and gameplay systems might actually function rather than exist only as design documents. This represents a transition from foundational creative work to hands-on development.
The project remains lean by studio standards. As of late February 2026, Hadar employed 26 developers, a modest figure compared to The Witcher 4 (499 staff) and even Cyberpunk 2 (149 staff). Still, the team has grown from just 17 people a year earlier, suggesting the studio is gradually investing more resources as the concept solidifies.
What Hadar actually is remains a complete mystery. Industry speculation has centered on the likelihood that it will be a role-playing game, given CD Projekt's track record and preference for the genre, but the studio has carefully avoided confirming even this much. Job postings have hinted at close-combat systems reminiscent of The Witcher series rather than the firearms focus of Cyberpunk, though nothing is confirmed. The codename itself, borrowed from a star designation much like CD Projekt's other project codes, offers no meaningful clues.
The timing of the update reflects CD Projekt's broader strategic position. The studio has invested heavily in recent growth, hiring more than 220 staff over the past year, mostly for The Witcher 4 development. It reported sales revenue of 867 million Polish zloty in 2025, a 9% increase year-on-year, and spent 513 million zloty on development of future titles. That financial strength provides room to explore genuinely new intellectual property rather than rely solely on existing franchises.
Whether Hadar emerges as a significant new franchise or quietly fades into development limbo remains to be seen. CD Projekt's experience with Cyberpunk 2077 taught the industry hard lessons about managing expectations for announced projects. The studio appears determined to avoid repeating those mistakes by disclosing information only when development milestones genuinely warrant it.
For now, the fact that prototypes are being built and tested in earnest suggests this is no longer a speculative exercise. Australian readers with investment interests in gaming stocks may note that CD Projekt's detailed financial reporting continues to indicate solid revenue fundamentals and disciplined capital allocation despite the significant development costs ahead.