The first week of January 2026 finds CD Projekt Red in the middle of a structural overhaul. After years of quiet work following the Phantom Liberty launch, the studio cleared its plate. They sold GOG, moved their entire tech stack to Unreal Engine 5, and started pushing The Witcher into a permanent release cycle.
CD PROJEKT co-founder Michał Kiciński acquires GOG for 25M dollars
For players, this protects the DRM-free mission. Kiciński wants GOG to return to its original purpose: reviving classic games and ensuring digital ownership. The studio will still launch future titles like The Witcher 4 on GOG, but the storefront can now focus on its Preservation Program without needing to compete with Steam’s scale or answer to quarterly earnings reports.
The Witcher 3 “Bridge” Expansion: Ciri and the Lynx
This DLC connects the original trilogy to the new saga. It focuses on Ciri after the main game ends. The marketing features the School of the Lynx medallion, a new Witcher order that represents a break from the dying traditions of Kaer Morhen. Playing as Ciri lets us see the founding of this school, which positions her as the anchor for Project Polaris.
Ciri likely as main character of Witcher 4 CD Project Red
The internal Warsaw team isn’t developing this. Fool’s Theory—the studio remaking The Witcher 1—is handling it. This team includes many lead developers who built the original Wild Hunt. They’re using the familiar REDengine to deliver a standalone-style expansion (projected at $30) while the main CDPR staff stays focused on the new engine for The Witcher 4.
Technical Shift: The Unreal Engine 5 Revolution
The transition to Unreal Engine 5.x is the foundation for everything CDPR plans between now and 2030. The State of Unreal tech demo showed how this shift affects actual gameplay.
Nanite Foliage means the forests of Kovir (the rumored setting for Polaris) use high-fidelity geometry. Trees and grass no longer pop in as you get closer.
CD Projekt Red shifting to Unreal Engine 5 focus on game rather than engine
Lumen Lighting makes all lighting dynamic. If you cast a Sign or walk past a light source, the shadows and reflections update instantly without the performance hit of traditional ray-tracing.
FastGeo Streaming is a tool CDPR co-developed with Epic Games. It streams massive amounts of data instantly, which matters for the dense urban environments planned for the Cyberpunk sequel.
The 2026–2030 Roadmap
The current plan splits development geographically so The Witcher and Cyberpunk don’t fight for the same resources.
Project
Lead Team
Current Status
Expected Release
W3 Expansion
Fool’s Theory
Finishing Touches
May 2026
Polaris (W4)
CDPR Warsaw
Full Production
Late 2027
Sirius (Multiplayer)
CDPR / Molasses
Conceptual
2028
Orion (CP2)
CDPR Boston
Pre-production
2030
Project Polaris: The New Saga
Over 400 people in Warsaw are working on Polaris. It starts a new trilogy that CDPR plans to release over six years. By using a shared UE5 technical base, they expect to release The Witcher 5 and 6 much faster than previous sequels.
The Witcher 4 known as Project-Polaris
Project Orion: The Future of Night City
The Boston hub is now home to the Cyberpunk sequel. Lead designers from Phantom Liberty are building the team in North America. They want to integrate multiplayer directly into the core experience this time, turning Night City into a social hub instead of just a single-player playground. The game entered pre-production in May 2025 with an expected release no earlier than 2030.
The upcoming unannounced The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt DLC seems to be the new worst-kept secret in gaming. Details about the new content began to surface last year, revealing that it will bridge the gap between the 2015 RPG and The Witcher 4. The latest report reveals even more details about the DLC, including where it will be set.
What are the new details for the upcoming unannounced The Witcher 3 DLC?
In a new report from IGN Poland, it is revealed that the publication knew about The Witcher 3 DLC years ago, but did not report on it as they only had information from one source. However, now that it seems all but confirmed, they are sharing what they were told about the upcoming DLC.
“We have a confession to make. We’ve known about work on a potential new expansion behind the scenes for a very long time,” reads IGN’s article. We don’t want to reveal exact dates to protect our sources, but the topic first appeared on our radar years ago. Our source — someone who has repeatedly provided us with reliable, insider information — confirmed directly that a new expansion was in the works, albeit at a very early stage.”
“At the time, we were hearing signs that the team was fascinated by a completely different destination than the frozen north,” the article continues. “There were many indications that the developers were keenly interested in exploring Zerrikania.”
For those unaware, in The Witcher series, Zerrikania is a desert region located to the east of the Northern Kingdoms and the Nilfgaardian Empire. Although the article provides some logic behind Zerrikania being the location for The Witcher 3 DLC, they do not that this information was given to them years ago and development could have changed since then.
“However, we must remember that years have passed since we first learned about a potential DLC set in the desert, and concepts in game development sometimes evolve,” reads the article. “Perhaps the new DLC, after evolving the concept, will take us to the same regions as The Witcher 4.”
Will The Witcher 3 DLC be set in the deserts of Zerrikania or the snowy mountains of Kovir? We’ll just have to wait and see.
If there was any way to deflate someone before The Game Awards, it’s with the words, “No new Witcher 4 content.” Sad but true. After last year’s surprise trailer, CD Projekt RED will be content to sit back and enjoy the show (and maybe even net that Most Anticipated Game award).
That doesn’t mean we don’t have plenty of other details to keep us busy, like the fact that The Witcher 4 isn’t launching next year, according to studio co-CEO Michał Nowakowski. Was it that obvious, especially after the company said we wouldn’t see it until 2027 at the earliest? Probably not, but development is proceeding as planned since it entered full production last year.
Since then, we’ve had some great new reveals, from the Unreal Engine 5 tech showcase to the potential inclusion of plot elements from the upcoming Crossroads of Ravens prequel novel. CD Projekt RED recently confirmed that the development team consists of 447 members, a whopping increase of three developers over the previous quarter. It may not seem like much, but it likely includes Karel Kolmann, game designer on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, who’s joined as a senior quest designer, and that’s great news.
But the most interesting bit to emerge from a post-financials conference for the CD Projekt Group is that the team will still deliver the new Witcher trilogy within the promised six-year period. Remember when it was still called Project Polaris? That promise, which seemed borderline unbelievable at the time.
Nowakowski talked about how happy the team has been with Unreal Engine 5, how it’s evolving, and “how we are learning how to make it work within a huge open-world game, as The Witcher 4 is meant to be.” And when prompted about whether this meant a “shorter and more predictable cadence” for the sequels, he responded, “In a way, yes, I do believe that further games should be delivered in a shorter period of time – as we had stated before, our plan still is to launch the whole trilogy within a six-year period, so yes, that would mean we would plan to have a shorter development time between The Witcher 4 and The Witcher 5, between The Witcher 5 and The Witcher 6 and so on.”
So there you go, The Witcher 5 and The Witcher 6, officially named and confirmed. All joking aside, it still feels like a near-impossible proposition, especially with CD Projekt RED planning to allocate more resources and development team members to Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel, Project Orion (aka, the tentatively named Cyberpunk 2). After all, The Witcher was released in 2007, followed by The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings in 2011 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in 2015 – an eight-year journey, that too one where crunch became increasingly common at the studio.
The big difference is that the first game utilized a completely different engine (BioWare’s Aurora, funnily enough) from the others, which were built on the studio’s own REDengine. And one look at The Witcher 2 and 3 will tell you that a lot of work went into raising the bar for the latter, so probably not the best comparison.
Instead, we can actually look at a completely different trilogy – Mass Effect. BioWare utilized Unreal Engine 3 for all three titles – Mass Effect 1 in 2007, Mass Effect 2 in 2010 and Mass Effect 3 in 2012. They all released within the same console generation, though it’s obvious that the third game built on much of the second’s groundwork.
But once again, BioWare had to essentially rush to complete the third game within two years – a process that left everyone at the studio fried. Worst of all, they didn’t even get much chance to rest, as they had to shift to Dragon Age: Inquisition and crunch once more. Still, three titles in five years, all Game of the Year contenders – ending controversies notwithstanding – is still impressive.
So in a way, it is possible, but the biggest worry is whether CD Projekt RED will have to crunch to achieve this for the new Witcher trilogy. One possibility is that it’s already building out much of what it will require to develop subsequent titles. After all, Polaris was announced in 2022, and the studio has been working with Unreal Engine 5 for over four years, meaning development began even sooner. If The Witcher 4 arrives by late 2027 or early 2028, is it all that unreasonable to assume that all those years would have been enough time to deliver one full-fledged Witcher title, the biggest yet, and to lay the groundwork for its sequels?
“But what about Cyberpunk 2?” is the obvious question, especially how it would impact development. Wouldn’t expanding its development studios over the next two years negatively impact the new Witcher trilogy? I actually have a theory on that.
CD Projekt RED has said plenty about building up its new Boston studio, so it’s more likely to hire new developers to increase its numbers. A job listing from last September for a Lead Network Engineer also hints that there will be multiplayer. That means post-launch content (aside from a potential expansion or two), and for that, a dedicated studio would be necessary.
And even if that doesn’t happen, it’s more evident than ever that the IP is a long-term franchise for CD Projekt RED. Cyberpunk 2077 is currently their biggest revenue earner, reaching 35 million sold faster than The Witcher 3. It’s essentially their Grand Theft Auto (The Witcher being Red Dead Redemption in this case). If all the tie-ups and collaborations, including the upcoming Edgerunners 2, are any indication, this is essentially a different revenue stream for the company. While it’s still possible that it would shift developers between projects, it’s unlikely that the majority of The Witcher 4’s team would shift to Cyberpunk 2. Keeping the team together to deliver this trilogy makes far more sense (see Final Fantasy 7 Remake).
Of course, this is assuming that CD Projekt RED is committed to its vision for both games and that there are no hiccups. One benefit of this promised timeline is that it all hinges on when The Witcher 4 will release. And while I doubt the higher-ups want a GTA 6-style delay, there is definitely some breathing room for their developers. If Phantom Liberty is any indication (over 10 million sold and counting), the company is probably realizing the benefits of avoiding crunch or massive overhauls in the end stretch.
Too long, didn’t watch, the answer is: Yes, we could very well see The Witcher 4, 5 and 6 release within six years of each other. Would it be too much of an oversaturation? Unlikely – The Witcher 4 is guaranteed to be a best-seller, simply on name value alone. If The Witcher 5 arrives about two or three years later and sets up a major hook for The Witcher 6 to deliver an incredible finale, then it could end up as one of the best video game trilogies of all time (if not the best).
CD Projekt RED has all the time in the world to knock it out of the park, but either way, even with all the preparation in the world, it’s going to be a mad sprint for home base.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
CD Projekt Red continues strengthening the development of The Witcher 4, bringing in top-tier talent including a Baldur’s Gate 3 veteran who will shape the game’s cinematic vision.
Valve launched its first-ever official Black Friday sale in 2025, marking a historic shift in the company’s seasonal sales strategy. The Steam Black Friday Sale 2025 runs until December 1, giving gamers a full week to score incredible deals on thousands of titles across every genre imaginable.
Whether you’re hunting for AAA blockbusters like Battlefield 6, indie gems like Blue Prince, or looking to snag hardware discounts on the Steam Deck, this year’s event delivers unprecedented value for PC gamers. From massive publisher sales to deep cuts on 2025’s biggest releases, we’re breaking down everything you need to maximize your savings during this limited-time shopping extravaganza.
What Makes the Steam Black Friday 2025 Sale Special
The sale features a large list of games across basically every genre and sub-genre you can imagine, with a lot of the discounted games including titles that launched in 2025. This year’s event represents a significant milestone for Valve’s digital distribution platform, as it’s the first time the company has specifically branded a sale around the Black Friday shopping holiday.
The 2025 Steam Autumn Sale shifted earlier than usual, separated from the Winter Sale by several weeks, creating space for this new Black Friday event. Gamers can expect discounts ranging from modest 15-20% cuts on recent November releases to jaw-dropping 80-95% price slashes on classic titles and beloved franchises.
Top Publisher Deals During the Steam Black Friday Sale 2025
SEGA Black Friday Gaming Deals
SEGA is offering up to 80% off select games, with franchises like Sonic, Yakuza, Total War, and Persona all receiving substantial markdowns. Persona 5 Royal sits at 65% off, while the tactical spin-off Persona 5 Tactica drops 70%. Soul Hackers 2 reaches its lowest-ever Steam price at just $11.99.
PlayStation PC Exclusives on Steam
Several former PlayStation exclusives have received never-before-seen prices, with games available at up to 80% off. Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered and Miles Morales both hit 60% off for the first time directly on Steam. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered offers another excellent entry point into Sony’s acclaimed franchises at competitive pricing.
Xbox Black Friday 2025 Sale
Popular Microsoft games are now up to 80% off. Gears of War: Reloaded drops to $25.99 despite launching just three months ago, while Halo: The Master Chief Collection hits $9.99. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is available for $17.49, and ReCore: Definitive Edition costs just $3.99.
Warhammer, EA, and Other Major Publishers
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is available for $23.99 with a 60% discount, representing the lowest price the game has ever been on Steam. Electronic Arts titles continue offering deep discounts, while Bethesda features more than 150 games and DLC at reduced prices. CD Projekt Red’s catalog, including Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher series, sees discounts up to 90% off.
Best Steam Deck Black Friday Deals 2025
Valve has marked down the Steam Deck, with the base LCD model getting $80 less than usual. The LCD 256GB version drops to just $319.20, the lowest price ever recorded, with this deal beating any previous sale by $50.
While the premium Steam Deck OLED models aren’t receiving Black Friday discounts, the LCD versions still offer incredible value for gamers looking to enter the handheld PC gaming space. The Steam Deck remains one of the most affordable ways to access your entire Steam library on the go, with performance capable of running most indie games and smaller titles smoothly in 2025.
For those seeking alternatives, competing handhelds like the Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS have dropped to $449 for the Ryzen Z2 Go model at Best Buy, making handheld gaming more accessible than ever.
Top Steam Black Friday Game Deals You Can’t Miss
2025’s Biggest Releases on Sale
Battlefield 6 is on sale for $59.49, which is 15% off the regular price, notable given that it’s one of the biggest games of 2025 and has only been out for a little more than a month. Other major 2025 releases seeing discounts include Arc Raiders, which maintains its reputation as one of the best games you can buy for $40.
The Oblivion remaster is currently on sale for its lowest-ever price on Steam at 33% off, letting Elder Scrolls fans return to Cyrodiil with enhanced graphics and updated mechanics. Tales of the Shire, the cozy Lord of the Rings game, hits 30% off, making it the cheapest it’s ever been.
Deep Discount Gaming Recommendations
Blue Prince, this year’s roguelite mystery game hit, is reaching its lowest-ever price on Steam at 34% off, blending strategy, mystery, and puzzles for a unique gameplay experience. Dave the Diver sits at 45% off, combining restaurant management with light RPG mechanics and achieving an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is down 75% from its original price of $59.99 to only $14.99, representing one of the best deals during the entire sale. Resident Evil Village Gold Edition drops 70%, taking it from $49.99 to $14.99, including the base game, Winters’ Expansion, and Trauma Pack DLC.
Budget-Friendly Gaming Under $15
Games under specific price points make browsing for affordable deals easier during the Steam Black Friday Sale 2025. Smart shoppers should explore:
Games under $5 – Perfect for building your backlog, including titles like The Surge 2 at 90% off ($2.99) and FEAR with DLC for just $2
Games under $10 – Premium indie titles like Hogwarts Legacy at $8.99 (85% off) and classic franchises at historical lows
Games under $20 – Recent AAA releases with 60-75% discounts, including Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 and Red Dead Redemption 2
When Does the Steam Black Friday Sale 2025 End?
The first-ever Steam Black Friday Sale runs until December 1, providing gamers with a full week to browse thousands of discounts. Individual publisher promotions may end on different dates, so don’t wait until the final hours to make your purchases.
Black Friday Steam Deck deals sell out quickly, with the LCD 20% discount typically disappearing by Friday afternoon. Set notifications for wishlist items to catch price drops before they expire.
Steam Sale Shopping Tips and Strategies for 2025
Wishlist Management: Add games to your Steam wishlist before the sale begins. Steam will notify you when wishlist items go on discount, helping you track price drops across your most-wanted titles without missing opportunities.
Compare Prices Across Retailers: While Steam offers great deals, authorized key retailers like Humble Bundle, Fanatical, and Green Man Gaming sometimes beat Steam’s official pricing. Many competing PC game stores are running Black Friday sales on Steam codes, meaning you can still add games to your Steam library while spending even less.
Check Review Scores: Don’t let deep discounts blind you to mediocre games. Filter searches by positive review ratings to ensure quality purchases. Games with Overwhelmingly Positive or Very Positive ratings generally indicate solid experiences worth your money.
Refund Policy Awareness: Steam offers refunds on games with less than 2 hours of playtime within 14 days of purchase. If a game doesn’t meet expectations, you’re covered, making it safer to take chances on discounted titles.
Consider Multi-Game Bundles: Complete editions and multi-game collections often provide the best value during major sales. Look for Gold Editions, Ultimate Editions, and franchise bundles that package DLC, expansions, and multiple games together at steep discounts.
Hardware Price Warnings for December 2025
Memory prices have surged by 500% and SSD prices have risen by 100%, with retailers warning that prices on gaming PCs, GPUs, laptops, and SSDs will increase after December 7, 2025. This makes the Black Friday sale potentially the last opportunity for affordable gaming hardware purchases before significant price increases take effect.
If you’re considering upgrading your gaming PC, buying additional RAM, or adding storage capacity, act before early December. The Black Friday window represents a critical opportunity to lock in current pricing before the hardware market shifts dramatically.
Alternative Steam Key Retailers During Black Friday 2025
Many competing PC game stores are running Black Friday sales featuring Steam activation codes. Legitimate third-party sellers offering additional discounts include:
Humble Bundle – Features convenient price category filtering and supports charity with every purchase
Fanatical – Rotating flash sales with franchise bundles and mystery game offers
Green Man Gaming – Stacking discount codes and VIP pricing for frequent shoppers
GOG – DRM-free classics with competitive pricing and no activation requirements
Always verify you’re buying from authorized retailers to avoid key revocation issues. Stick with well-known, reputable sellers that have established relationships with game publishers.
Upcoming Steam Sales After Black Friday 2025
The Steam Winter Sale 2025 kicks off on December 18, giving budget-conscious gamers another opportunity to score deals before the year ends. The Winter Sale typically runs for approximately two weeks, often featuring similar discount percentages to the Black Friday event.
Steam also hosts seasonal sales throughout the year, including Spring Sale, Summer Sale, and genre-specific “Fest” events focusing on RPGs, strategy games, horror titles, racing sims, and more. These focused events often highlight indie developers and niche genres that might get overlooked during major seasonal sales.
Frequently Asked Questions About Steam Black Friday Sale 2025
Q: Is this really Steam’s first official Black Friday sale?
A: Yes, this is the first time Valve has specifically branded and marketed a sale as a “Black Friday” event. Previously, the Steam Autumn Sale served as an unofficial Black Friday alternative, but the company has now embraced the shopping holiday directly.
Q: Can I use coupons or promo codes during the Steam Black Friday sale?
A: Steam does not allow stacking coupons on already-discounted products. Sale prices are final, with no additional promotional codes accepted during major seasonal events. However, third-party retailers may offer their own promo codes on Steam keys.
Q: Will newer 2025 releases like Battlefield 6 be on sale?
A: Yes, many games released throughout 2025 are receiving discounts. However, the newest November releases may only receive modest 10-20% discounts, while games from earlier in the year see deeper cuts of 30-70% off.
Q: Are Steam Deck OLED models on sale for Black Friday 2025?
A: No, only the LCD Steam Deck models received Black Friday discounts in 2025. The OLED versions maintain their standard pricing, making the LCD models an even better value proposition for budget-conscious buyers.
Q: How long does the Steam Black Friday sale 2025 last?
A: The sale runs from November 25 through December 1, 2025, giving you a full week to make purchasing decisions. Individual publisher sales may have different end dates, so check specific game pages for exact timing.
Q: Should I wait for the Winter Sale or buy during Black Friday?
A: Discounts during Black Friday and Winter Sales are typically similar, though not identical. If you see a game at a historical low price during Black Friday, there’s no guarantee it will match or beat that price during the Winter Sale. Buy what you want now if the price feels right.
Q: What’s the biggest discount available during the Steam Black Friday 2025 sale?
A: Discounts reach up to 95% off on select titles, with many classic games and complete editions seeing 80-90% price reductions. The deepest discounts typically apply to older titles and complete franchise collections.
Maximizing Your Steam Wallet During Black Friday 2025
Consider purchasing Steam gift cards from retailers offering their own promotions. While Steam itself doesn’t discount wallet funds, some third-party sellers provide bonus value or cashback rewards when buying Steam credit during the holiday shopping season.
Budget-conscious gamers should prioritize building their wishlist with deliberate intent. Focus on games you’ll actually play rather than accumulating a massive backlog of unplayed titles. The average Steam user owns hundreds of games they’ve never launched, a common pitfall during major sales events when everything seems like an irresistible bargain.
Set spending limits before browsing the sale. It’s easy to justify multiple small purchases that add up to significant money. Decide your budget in advance and stick to it, prioritizing your most-wanted titles over impulse buys that might sit unplayed for years.
Final Thoughts on the Steam Black Friday 2025 Sale
This year’s Steam Black Friday sale represents exceptional value across every gaming category. Whether you’re a hardcore enthusiast with a massive library or a newcomer exploring PC gaming for the first time, the combination of deep discounts, hardware deals, and publisher participation creates a perfect storm for savvy shoppers.
The week-long duration eliminates FOMO pressure, allowing you to research purchases, read reviews, compare prices across retailers, and make informed decisions. Take advantage of Steam’s generous refund policy to test games risk-free, and don’t hesitate to explore alternative retailers for even better pricing on Steam keys.
With thousands of titles discounted across every genre, playstyle, and budget level, and hardware prices set to increase dramatically in December, the Steam Black Friday sale 2025 delivers gaming’s best value proposition before the holiday season shifts into high gear. Whether you’re clearing your wishlist or discovering new favorites, this historic first-ever Steam Black Friday event won’t disappoint.
Happy hunting, gamers. Your backlog is about to get a whole lot bigger, and your wallet might actually thank you for waiting until this sale to make your moves.
CD Projekt Red aims to release The Witcher 4 and its sequels within six years, despite typically taking 4-5 years per game. No details on release dates were provided, but challenges remain.
