The Witcher Turns CD Projekt into Europe’s Second Biggest Gaming Company

Last year’s release of The Witcher on Netflix proved to be quite beneficial for publisher CD Projekt. The popularity of the show propelled interest in The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, a title originally released by the publisher nearly five years ago. However, Witcher fans are clearly starved for more content, and with new episodes of the series some time away, fans have to find other ways to spend time with Geralt, Siri and Yennefer. That interest has turned Poland-based publisher CD Projekt into Europe’s second-biggest video game company, behind French publisher Ubisoft. CD Projekt has been valued at $8 billion, compared to Ubisoft’s $9.6 billion value.

What’s most notable about the figure is the fact that CD Projekt was valued at $6.8 billion just last month. It truly shows what a massive impact the release of Netflix’s series has had on the publisher in an incredibly short period of time. It doesn’t hurt that Wild Hunt has received a plethora of accolades and awards over the years, but it’s hard to imagine many other games having that kind of demand so long after their initial release.

While CD Projekt has released subsequent versions of The Witcher III: Wild Hunt since 2015 (including a Nintendo Switch version just last year), it’s notable that the company has not had any major releases, since. Of course, the highly-anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 is due out later this year, but the title represents just the eighth game released so far by the company. It will be interesting to see whether that release can live-up to the legacy of Wild Hunt.

Of course, Wild Hunt isn’t the only Witcher-related content that has seen a big boost since the release of the Netflix series. Writer Andrzej Sapkowski‘s original books have seen increased interest as a result, and publisher Orbit Books has increased production in order to meet demand. Sapkowski and CD Projekt have had an acrimonious relationship in the past, but the two have put aside their differences, coming to terms over future games in The Witcher franchise. A follow-up to Wild Hunt has not been officially announced just yet, but CD Projekt remains hard at work on GWENT: The Witcher Card Game, which should also keep fans occupied while they wait for season 2.

Have you purchased The Witcher III: Wild Hunt? What do you think about CD Projekt’s success? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!