Another Witcher game just got axed, but there’s time to say goodbye
>
Fans of hacking and fighting their way through AI monsters have sad news as another Witcher spin-off heads into the sunset.
As we prepare for the Gwent card game to leave the hands of the developer, CD Projekt RED is not done playing with our emotionless hero. The team behind The Witcher: Monster Slayer has a official announcement (opens in new tab) that the game would close on June 30, 2023.
“We are proud to have been able to create a location-based AR experience that captured what it was like to be a witcher in real life,” writes Spokko’s rep, “and gave the community the opportunity to share monsters from the Witcher world up close and personal.”
Spokko, owned by CD Projekt RED, is also shutting down PC Gamer Report (opens in new tab) that the parent company assures that many members of the team will be transferred to other projects where possible. However, some layoffs are to be expected. Let’s hope 2023 brings happier news for the future of the Witcher family of games.
Hang up your silver
The Witcher: Monster Slayer debuted in July 2021 and we at TRG enjoyed the unique mix of Pokémon Go meets Elder Scrolls. That said, it will have an unusually short lifespan for a virtually immortal witcher.
The Spokko team thanked its player base for their continued support. “This journey, filled with quests, events and adventure, wouldn’t have been possible without you – after all, together we’ve defeated over 100 million monsters worldwide!”
The sad news comes from Gwent: The Witcher Card Game, announcing that it will complete its card pool in 2023. Once it’s finalized, the developers will pass the reins to the players by giving them control over the meta going forward. Players can use the in-game client to adjust the strength of each card, which can be brilliant for its long-term popularity or leave it dead in the water.
With five new Witcher games announced, including one with multiplayer capabilities, hopefully CD Projekt RED has some nicer news in store. All these cuts should leave them wide open to focus on their bigger projects, but let’s hope there aren’t any more nasty surprises in store.