CD Projekt Red revealed Project Hadar as an emotional, immersive open-world action RPG still in early pre-development as of April 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The team consists of about 24 to 26 developers, a small group compared with over 500 working on The Witcher 4 and 163 on Cyberpunk 2 [1, 2, 3, 5, 6].
Hadar marks CD Projekt Red’s first fully original intellectual property developed entirely internally, not based on The Witcher or Cyberpunk universes [2, 3]. The game is expected to be narrative-driven with a strong focus on story, branching choices, and world-building consistent with the studio’s tradition [3, 5, 6].
Joint-CEO Michał Nowakowski said the developer is building multiple prototypes directly in Unreal Engine 5 "to live-test and verify how selected mechanics and gameplay elements can perform" [1]. According to him, Hadar ‘‘is still basically an IP concept, so not a game development project yet,” with ongoing work on the story and background alongside prototyping [4].
Recruitment materials for Hadar hint at a melee combat emphasis, suggesting the game will be a melee action RPG [6]. Daniel Greń from CD Projekt described the project as "an emotional, open-world experience that will stay with gamers" [4].
In comparison, CD Projekt has 83 people assigned to Project Sirius, but Hadar remains a smaller, riskier project representing a departure from established franchises [2, 3, 5, 6]. Hadar was first mentioned publicly in investor documents in autumn 2022 as a 100% original action RPG with a confidential world setting [3].
The full reveal, demo, or release of Hadar is expected several years away, possibly around 2030 according to current projections [3]. The studio plans to develop multiple IPs in parallel, with Hadar representing a new creative direction [3]. The most recent update came May 29, 2026, with an official social media post confirming the 24-person team and ongoing development [6].
