Q: "Puls Biznesu": How are the works on "Cyberpunk 2077" going?
A: Adam Kiciński: We just closed an important stage of production. We had a lot of equipment left in this room, including a big screen, which proves the level of production. We are happy with the results.
 
Q: Are there any threats to the production?
A: There have been no recent problems that could affect production. On the contrary, we have a milestone behind us
 
Q: Work on the game engine has been completed?
A: The engine is up and running. Of course it will be further developed. At each of our games we had to develop technology very well and this time it was the same. It must be appropriate for our needs with the specific title and the world we create and match the capabilities of the devices available on the market. Therefore, the engine needs constant updating - its modifications usually take place to a very late stage.
 
Q: Release date?
A: You have to wait patiently for the official announcement. We will not announce the date of this year or next - I will not answer. Commenting on the speculation market would be unfavorable for us. The most important thing is to build the most interesting players, which will translate into sales.
 
Q: What will be the cost of the game?
A: From the beginning we assumed that it was significantly bigger than "The Witcher 3", whose budget amounted to just over PLN 300 million. Approximately half of them were marketing expenditures, most of which were not seen as costs but reduced revenues from distributors. Direct costs of production exceeded 90 million PLN. "Cyberpunk 2077" will be more expensive, but also more ambitious and, as we believe, will have significantly greater sales potential.
 
Q: How many people are involved in production?
A: Over 300 people work on the game. It's more than the peak of The Witcher 3, but there will be a lot more in the future. About 100 people work on Gwent. At present we have the largest and best team of programmers in our history.
 
Q: Is the personnel policy of CD Projekt the same as other companies in the industry?
A: Our goal is to make the best games in the world. The competition is sharp - not only do we have an appetite for a gold medal. In this business is like in sports. The prize, apart from financial gratification, is pride. Our people, in spite of their hardship, may say that one of the best games in the world is their work. We do not know the prescription for a perfectly planned and quiet production process, which would result in an outstanding game. Multiple iterations are an integral part of this process.
 
Q: Has the rapid development of the company in recent years had a negative impact on the team?
A: This is an additional organizational challenge, but we have a natural continuity of team. We try to provide the best possible working conditions, because in our industry we have an employee market. We pay Polish market rates or even slightly higher, and to this large bonuses. We have a permanent profit sharing program with employees at every level. The average of the team bonuses paid in the past three years was higher than the total value of basic salaries. Rotation in the company is on a rational level.
 
Q: How will you respond to the allegations that the company, in the face of information that has surfaced on the Internet, has insufficiently communicated and has not calmed down the mood on the stock market?
A: We have our own style of communication and it does not fit in the concept of "hiding your head in the sand". We want to do business so as not to be ashamed. When a problem arises, we always try to talk about it. After the first video material unfavorable for us, we published an extensive commentary by Adam Badowski, the head of the studio, and Marcin Iwiński, the co-founder and member of the board. At times, however, the level of discussion goes so low that it makes no sense to comment.
 
Q: Star on bumps...
A: CD Projekt is the largest video game company on the GPW (Giełda Papierów Wartościowych - stock Exchange) and the undisputable leader of the main floor. Its capitalization peaked at over 12 billions PLN recently it reached 10.2 billions PLN. According to analysts, CD Projekt is a very strong candidate for WIG20 - index of the largest and most liquid companies. The creators of the three parts of the The Witcher game have long been favorites to investors and analysts, who are most interested in buying shares in the company. This week the good pass has been broken - for two days the CD project rate fell by about 20%. The sale, at times panic, triggered unofficial information from former company employees that the game "Cyberpunk 2077" is still very early in production, the authors have engine problems, and the prime minister even in 2020 is unrealistic. There were also unfavorable comments on the working conditions in the CD Projekt. The bad news was conveyed to the YongYea youtuber, and then wrote about them. Eurogamer.pl and ppe.pl.