When The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt made its debut in 2015, the overwhelming success it achieved seemed almost preordained. However, from the vantage point of CD Projekt, the Polish studio behind the game, the path to triumph was fraught with uncertainty, particularly due to the looming competition from another highly anticipated title: Rocksteady Studios’ Batman: Arkham Knight.
The apprehension surrounding Arkham Knight was not merely a reflection of its popularity. CD Projekt harbored specific concerns that Rocksteady’s open-world superhero adventure could overshadow The Witcher 3 on retail shelves. As one team member candidly noted, “You guys are not Bethesda.”
Timing and Competition
Compounding their worries, CD Projekt discovered that Arkham Knight was set to launch in close proximity to The Witcher 3, positioning the two games in direct competition. To add to their challenges, Warner Bros served as both distributor and publisher for Arkham Knight, providing them with a robust incentive to ensure its success. “I still remember how bombed we were when we learned that Rocksteady is gonna launch [Batman]: Arkham Knight—I think it was the one with the car,” recalled Nowakowski, a member of the CD Projekt team. “Because they were with us on one of the tours. They showed up [for] our demo. They showed us theirs. Like, oh god, these guys [are] really at the top. I mean, they’re gonna just roll over us. It’s gonna be tough.”
Fortunately for CD Projekt, fate intervened. Arkham Knight’s release was delayed from its original May launch to June 23. “But we were afraid about those placements in the stores, especially since Warner was taking care of both, you know, their game and ours,” Nowakowski reflected.
Ultimately, the narrative of The Witcher 3 took a remarkable turn. A decade later, it is celebrated as one of the finest RPGs ever crafted. In honor of its 10th anniversary, PC Gamer has explored the game’s development, uncovering fascinating anecdotes, such as how CD Projekt “hacked time and space” to cast Charles Dance and how joint CEO Adam Badowski pushed the team to incorporate swimming and underwater locations, often to the chagrin of his colleagues.
