CD Projekt Red may feel like they have finally turned a corner with the release of update 2.0 for Cyberpunk 2077 and the accompanying expansion, Phantom Liberty. Nearly three years after release, and with many bug fixes and millions spent, the company now has the game they first envisioned upon release and can finally enjoy the success they deserve.
It would seem, however, that not even the Polish company can avoid the layoffs and redundancies that are currently affecting the gaming industry worldwide. And after a third set of layoffs within a three-month period, staff have decided to take action.
What Have We Seen With the CD Projekt Red Staff?
Given the recent layoffs at CDPR, it is no surprise that staff have turned to a union to address the issues. Joining other Polish-based developers, staff have decided to form the Polish Gamedev Workers Union.
The newly formed union is seen as an independent section of the country’s Inicjatywa Pracownicza (OZZ IP), which is commonly known as the Polish Trade Union Workers Initiative. The group represents Polish workers across several other industries.
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A comment from the union website had the following to say about the recent formation of the Gamedev Workers Union:
“We started talking about unionizing after the 2023 wave of layoffs when 9% of Reds (that is roughly 100 people) were let go. This event created a tremendous amount of stress and insecurity, affecting our mental health and leading to the creation of this union in response.”
In May of this year, 29 employees were let go from The Molasses Flood, which is a studio owned by CD Projekt Red. This was followed by the team behind Gwent: The Witcher Card Game being dissolved, resulting in a further 30 jobs being lost.
The most recent move by the studio saw 100 people laid off due to ‘several deep transformations’, according to the company themselves. So it can be understood why so many of the remaining workers have decided to seek answers on future job security.
The founders of the Polish Gamedev Workers Union, Pawel Myszka and Lev Ki, stated that they had not heard from CD Projekt Red management but that all the necessary legal paperwork had been submitted and the organization now has ‘legal power.
It appears that CD Projekt Red isn’t the only studio whose employees have decided to unionize. Over 100 employees at the Swedish-based developers have made contact with the country’s union, ‘Unionen’, and have engaged with them on contract talks.
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A spokesperson for Avalanche Studios had the following comment:
As an employer, we’re committed to creating the best possible conditions for all Avalanchers to thrive. We support and welcome any initiative that goes in this direction.
This also means that we listen, initiate dialogue, and encourage people to bring forward their perspectives and needs.
Unionen has so far declined to comment on what issues are being addressed by staff from Avalanche Studio but said that they were ‘very hopeful’ that an agreement could be reached. The Swedish Union did have the following to say about negotiations:
“[We] believe that this will be a great step towards ensuring that the thoughts, ideas, feelings, and opinions of Avalanche’s employees are given the representation that they deserve.
We look forward to working together with company leadership to make the company better.”
Given the moves by staff from CD Projekt Red and Avalanche studios, just how long will it be before we see further staff in the gaming industry unionize? With the current uncertainty, it may be sooner than we think.
But what are your thoughts on the latest news for CD Projekt Red? Are you surprised by the increased layoffs within the company? Or do you think that this is just a telling statement of what is happening in the industry? Get in touch, drop us a comment and let us know your thoughts.
Source: GamedevUnion
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