Summary
CD Projekt Red’sThe Witchermultiplayer game named Project Sirius could end up being a live-service game, which will be a first for the fantasy franchise. A recent job listing for The Molasses Flood indicates the team is looking for a professional with experience working on live-service models, which may hint at a new frontier forThe Witcher. The Molasses Flood is a Boston-based developer that CDPR acquired in late 2021 and the studio is currently helming the upcoming multiplayer.
The mainWitchervideo game series began back in 2007, followed by theAssassins of Kingssequel in 2011, andWild Huntin 2015. A senior CDPR official recently stated thatThe Witcher 4will be “better, bigger, greater”than its predecessor and the popularCyberpunk 2077. The next main installment, codenamed Project Polaris, was recently confirmed to be in full-scale production, but the title is thought to be several years away from launch.
Posted by CDPR, a job listing seeking a Design Director to join The Molasses Flood recently surfaced, noting the individual would be working on Project Sirius. The qualifications required for the role specify a minimum of 5 years working as a Lead Designer or Design Director, preferably on a “AAA action title or multiplayer title with live ops component,” and broad experience in the realm of “3rd person action games, multiplayer, or live operations.”CDPR clarified thatThe Witcher’s Project Sirius would be reformulatedto focus on multiplayer elements last year, following the developer’s 2022 game reveal alongside other spin-offs. However, this job ad could be a subtle sign that the project may incorporate live-service features.
CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher Multiplayer Job Listing Hints at Potential Live-Service Features
AnotherWitchermultiplayer job adposted earlier in 2024 suggested the upcoming title would have a character class system after the listing was leaked online. The ad also fortified the project’s multiplayer details, suggesting Project Sirius will implement both PvP and PvE gameplay. As with many in-development titles being kept under the radar, job listings provide indicators as to the direction in which certain titles are heading gameplay-wise. However, these hints don’t always come to fruition.
Keeping in theme with CDPR’s expansion of its signature IP,The Witchermultiplayer could take inspiration fromConcord’s episodic release, despite the recent shutdown of Firewalk Studios' shooter. Weekly lore drops could be an option for themultiplayer’s potential live-service model, which would be a solid way to drip-feed the rich lore and in-world events taking place across the Continent. The multiplayer path is already a fantastic evolution for the franchise, and live-service features would expand the IP tenfold.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
WHERE TO PLAY
You are Geralt of Rivia, mercenary monster slayer. Before you stands a war-torn, monster-infested continent you can explore at will. Your current contract? Tracking down Ciri — the Child of Prophecy, a living weapon that can alter the shape of the world.PLAY AS A HIGHLY TRAINED MONSTER SLAYER FOR HIRETrained from early childhood and mutated to gain superhuman skills, strength, and reflexes, witchers are a counterbalance to the monster-infested world in which they live.Gruesomely destroy foes as a professional monster hunter armed with a range of upgradeable weapons, mutating potions, and combat magic. Hunt down a wide variety of exotic monsters, from savage beasts prowling mountain passes to cunning supernatural predators lurking in the shadowy back alleys of densely populated cities. Invest your rewards to upgrade your weaponry and buy custom armor, or spend them on horse races, card games, fist fighting, and other pleasures life brings.EXPLORE A MORALLY AMBIGUOUS FANTASY OPEN WORLDBuilt for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth, and complexity. Traverse a fantastical open world: explore forgotten ruins, caves, and shipwrecks, trade with merchants and dwarven smiths in cities, and hunt across the open plains, mountains, and seas. Deal with treasonous generals, devious witches, and corrupt royalty to provide dark and dangerous services. Make choices that go beyond good & evil, and face their far-reaching consequences.
