The Witcher IV and Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel Won’t Follow Baldur’s Gate 3’s Design, But Will Draw Inspiration From Its Reactivity

CD Projekt Red has clarified its direction for its next flagship RPGs, confirming that while Baldur’s Gate 3 has influenced the team creatively, neither The Witcher IV nor the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel will adopt Larian Studios’ design philosophy. In an interview with PC Gamer, joint CEO Michał Nowakowski outlined that CDPR remains fully committed to large scale open world RPGs.

According to Nowakowski, BG3’s systemic reactivity and world interactivity have provided inspiration, but CDPR has no intention of transitioning to Larian’s turn based CRPG format. Instead, the studio aims to evolve its own formula and deliver innovation within its signature open world structure. He stressed that CD Projekt Red does not want to simply recreate The Witcher 3 or Cyberpunk 2077 with improved visuals. The ambition is to bring forward new layers of player agency, environmental responsiveness, and dynamic systems.

“That’s the kind of game they can make,” Nowakowski said of Larian’s strengths, referencing both Divinity Original Sin and Baldur’s Gate 3. He acknowledged that aspects of their world interactivity have influenced internal ideas, without suggesting any crossover in genre or structure.

This direction aligns with broader player expectations. As groundbreaking as The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 were, their worlds largely followed the familiar open world blueprint of the past decade. Baldur’s Gate 3’s runaway success demonstrated how deeply reactive systems and sandbox like interactions can elevate storytelling and immersion. CDPR appears prepared to integrate some of those strengths into its next major titles while maintaining cinematic open world design at scale.

One area that will not evolve for The Witcher IV is narrative involvement from Andrzej Sapkowski, the author of the original novels. Sapkowski recently noted that CDPR rarely consults him for details now, though he emphasized that their relationship is positive following their 2019 contract renegotiation.

CD Projekt Red’s next RPGs remain in active development, with The Witcher IV (Polaris) serving as the starting point for a new trilogy and the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel (Orion) being rebuilt on Unreal Engine 5. As both titles move forward, the studio appears intent on merging its hallmark open world identity with new systemic depth inspired by modern RPG breakthroughs.

Which approach excites you more: CDPR’s evolving open worlds or Larian’s reactive CRPG systems? Share your thoughts below.