From early roots to game development and digital distribution: the CD Projekt story

CD Projekt was founded in Poland in 1994 by Marcin Iwiński and Michał Kiciński, initially importing and distributing legitimate CD-ROM games at a time when piracy dominated much of the local market.

How CD Projekt developed

The company moved into localisation and publishing before establishing CD Projekt RED as a development studio. The Witcher series gave it an international franchise, while Cyberpunk 2077 expanded its ambitions despite a troubled 2020 launch that required years of technical remediation. That development lineage also extends beyond CD Projekt itself: our Rebel Wolves profile looks at the studio founded by former Witcher 3 game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz and other experienced RPG developers.

CD Projekt in 2026

By 2026, CD Projekt was developing new projects across The Witcher and Cyberpunk franchises while operating GOG as a digital game storefront.

Its history combines one of Central Europe’s best-known game-industry success stories with a cautionary lesson about the reputational and technical risks of releasing highly anticipated software before it is ready.

Information was checked against public company material, regulatory filings and reputable independent reporting where available, using sources accessible on 18 September 2026.