CD Projekt Red, the developer of The Witcher games and Cyberpunk 2077, is a leader in European stock market growth. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was one of the most acclaimed games of the decade, and has since inspired numerous spin-offs including Thronebreaker and the collectible card game Gwent. In addition, a television adaptation of The Witcher recently released on Netflix.
The famed Polish developer CD Projekt Red started from humble beginnings. In the company's early years, they worked on localizing games and offering alternative distribution options through the "Good Old Games" store. But everything changed when they secured the game rights to Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher series. Both The Witcher and its sequel The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings proved to be popular among fantasy fans, but it wasn't until the series' third iteration The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt that sales truly skyrocketed. Wild Hunt hit international markets with unprecedented global appeal -the game was so popular in fact that it sold four million copies within the first two weeks of release.
The news of CD Projekt Red's enormous success on the European stock market was first reported by Bloomberg. Since 2009, no stock on the Stoxx Europe 600 Index has jumped more than CD Projekt SA. As of today, the Polish company is market valued at $6.8 billion, which firmly puts them in the conversation of the world's most financially lucrative game developers and publishers. However, while its competitors are often developing upwards of three AAA titles at a time, CD is developing just one.
Financial analysts seem exceedingly optimistic about the forthcoming financial return for CD's next title Cyberpunk 2077. The Witcher 3 performed far beyond expectations in reviews and on sales charts, prompting many investors to buy stock in the game's developer. Although investors pointed to the obvious upward trajectory of the company, some skeptics suggested that trouble may be lurking with the development of Cyberpunk 2077, which was revealed back in 2013, then shelved for several years. But over the last 24 months, the aims and goals for Cyberpunk 2077 have been made clear, and fans around the world have responded more than positively.
There aren't many developers in the gaming industry more respected than CD Projekt Red. The reason Cyberpunk 2077 was put on the back burner after its 2013 reveal was so that the company could focus on delivering a game of exceeding prestige to that of its predecessor. CD Projekt Red games bring to mind the old "Nintendo Seal of Quality" that ensured the high standard Nintendo set out for its customers. If one thing's certain, it's that CD Projekt Red's drive for quality assurance is a major reason for its success on the European stock market.
Cyberpunk 2077 releases on April 16, 2020 for PC, PlayStation 4 Xbox One and Google Stadia.
Source: Bloomberg