Project Sirius is CD Projekt’s in-development Witcher spinoff, announced in October 2022 and currently in a troubled reboot phase. The studio recently brought Kwan Perng—narrative lead on Destiny 2’s The Final Shape—aboard as the new lead writer to stabilize a project that has, by all public indicators, struggled to find its footing.
Why Project Sirius Exists and Why It Stumbled
CD Projekt announced Project Sirius alongside Project Polaris (the next mainline Witcher game) and Project Hadar (a new IP). Sirius was positioned as the spinoff: a different creative tier, built to expand the Witcher franchise without carrying the narrative weight of a numbered entry.
Development friction followed. CD Projekt leadership has openly described Sirius as a project that "did not meet our expectations" in its earlier incarnations. The studio shifted development teams internally and reset the creative direction. Public details about the original pitch remain thin. No gameplay has been shown. No platforms beyond PC have been confirmed. What exists right now is a project in reboot, not a game approaching release.
The Kwan Perng Hire: What It Actually Signals
Perng spent four years at Bungie as a senior narrative designer, with credits spanning Shadowkeep, Beyond Light, The Witch Queen, Lightfall, The Final Shape, and the upcoming The Edge of Fate. His LinkedIn specifies he was narrative lead on The Final Shape—the expansion that concluded Destiny 2’s decade-long Light and Darkness saga.
PC Gamer’s review of The Final Shape scored it 92%, noting it was "a big improvement from previous campaigns, which at their worst can feel like a meandering tour through destinations—spinning wheels to fill time ahead of the final confrontation." The implication for Sirius is straightforward: CD Projekt did not hire someone to write ambient lore entries. Perng’s work demonstrates structural discipline in long-form campaign pacing—directing players through escalating confrontations without wheel-spinning. That is the exact competency a struggling project needs.
It does not, however, confirm what genre Sirius actually is. His LinkedIn announcement went largely unnoticed until a follow-up post on X surfaced weeks later (via GamesRadar). The understated arrival suggests this is a mid-development personnel move, not a marketing beat.
What We Know About Gameplay: Almost Nothing
No gameplay systems have been publicly detailed. No classes, factions, combat mechanics, or progression hooks have been confirmed by CD Projekt. Any breakdown of "core loops" at this stage would be fabrication.
What can be reasonably inferred from the hiring pattern and the franchise context: Sirius is unlikely to replicate Geralt’s action-RPG combat 1:1, given that Polaris is already tasked with evolving that formula. Spinoffs in this tier typically explore adjacent genres—CD Projekt’s own Thronebreaker (a Gwent-driven RPG) is the precedent. The Perng hire points toward a project with a structured campaign, which rules out pure multiplayer or live-service sandbox but leaves a wide band of possibilities: a shorter character-driven RPG, a narrative-focused action game, or something that doesn’t map cleanly onto existing categories.
Where to Track the Game Right Now
There is nothing to play, watch, or wishlist. Sirius has no store page, no trailer beyond the initial October 2022 franchise announcement, and no confirmed release window. For players who want to stay current without wading through speculation:
- CD Projekt’s investor reports are the most reliable source for project status changes and timeline shifts.
- Kwan Perng’s LinkedIn and X accounts will likely flag any public-facing role changes or milestone posts before official channels.
- Major outlets covering CD Projekt earnings calls (PC Gamer, GamesRadar, IGN) are where reboot confirmations and scope changes typically surface first.
Avoid "gameplay leak" content on social media. No legitimate footage has surfaced, and the reboot status means earlier internal builds may not reflect the current direction at all.
Practical Guidance for Players Waiting on Sirius
There is no starter guide to write because there is no game. But if you are anchoring your backlog around this project, two things are worth knowing:
Play The Witcher 3 first, but not because of story continuity. Sirius is a spinoff. It almost certainly will not require knowledge of Geralt’s saga. But The Witcher 3 establishes the tone, moral texture, and worldbuilding standard that any spinoff will be measured against. Understanding that baseline is what makes a judgment about Sirius meaningful later.
Separate The Final Shape’s quality from Sirius’s prospects. Perng’s track record is relevant, but narrative leads do not dictate engine architecture, combat design, or ship dates. A good writer cannot fix a broken production pipeline. The hire is a positive signal for story quality. It is not a guarantee the game ships in a playable state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Project Sirius the same as The Witcher 4?
No. Project Polaris is the codename for the next mainline Witcher game (commonly referred to as The Witcher 4). Project Sirius is a separate spinoff with a different development team and a smaller creative scope.
What genre is Project Sirius?
Unconfirmed. CD Projekt has not announced a genre. The hiring of a campaign-focused narrative lead suggests a story-driven structure, but the specific gameplay category remains unknown.
Why was Project Sirius rebooted?
CD Projekt stated the project "did not meet our expectations" in its earlier form. The studio shifted internal teams and reset the creative direction, though it has not publicly detailed what specifically was failing—whether scope, quality, concept, or execution.
When will Project Sirius be released?
No release window exists. The project is in a reboot phase with a new lead writer. Given that no gameplay has been shown, a release within the next two years would be highly unusual for a CD Projekt title.
Will Kwan Perng’s Destiny 2 work influence the Witcher spinoff’s tone?
Perng’s credited strength is in campaign pacing and structural narrative—not in Destiny’s sci-fi lore or tone. The mechanisms that made The Final Shape work (tight escalation, elimination of filler missions, clear confrontation arcs) are transferable across genres. Expect craft influence, not tonal copy.
Should I wait for Sirius instead of playing other Witcher content?
No. There is no timetable, and the game may shift significantly before release. If you are interested in the franchise, The Witcher 3 and its expansions are the existing entry point. Thronebreaker is the only other released spinoff.
