Union formed at Cyberpunk 2077, Witcher studio CD Projekt Red

The Polish software developer CD Projekt Red has some staff members who are involved in the development of Cyberpunk 2077In response to the recent firings, the Polish Gamedev Workers Union was formed.

It is open to all game developers working under Polish contracts, but at the moment it has only a CD Projekt Red company commission (with an undetermined number of members) and its initial focus will be on improving employee lives. It’s part of a much larger Polish union, OZZ Inicjatywa Pracownicza.

The union said it was CD Projekt Red’s decision to lay off around 100 workers — 9% of its workforce — in 2023 that prompted its formation. It has recently released Phantom LibertyThis is the only and first expansion of Cyberpunk 2077It is winding up work on the game to prepare for a sequel Cyberpunk and a Witcher, along with several other projects.

“We started talking about unionizing after the 2023 wave of layoffs,” The Polish Gamedev Workers Union said in a FAQ on its site. “This event created a tremendous amount of stress and insecurity, affecting our mental health and leading to the creation of this union in response. A union provides greater security, more transparency, improved protection and stronger voices in crisis situations. […] We believe that the mass layoffs are a danger to the gamedev industry and we believe that unionizing is a way for us to preserve the industry’s potential.”

In order to improve employment stability, the union stated that it was its highest priority to allow CD Projekt Red’s staff to have a say in corporate decision-making. It also wants to help workers’ voices be heard on working conditions “in the long run.”

In an interview with Polish site CD Action, union founders Lev Ki and Paweł Myszka — both CD Projekt Red employees, working in programming and QA respectively — said that the studio had actually made great strides in improving working conditions, especially in eliminating crunch. CD Projekt Red swore it would deliver Cyberpunk 2077 This goal was reportedly not achieved without crunch. The problem is that the crunchiness of some foods can be a deterrent to people. Phantom LibertyIt finally fulfilled its promise.

“While working on Phantom LibertyThe crunch was minimal, and certainly not as severe as the [base game],” Myszka told CD Action (via Google Translate). “There were overtime hours only for those willing, paid or taken as vacation days. A strict anti-crunch program was implemented by the company. Agile [development]The agile method has also been adopted, but it is important to remember that this process cannot be switched on and off, as you must constantly apply the Agile methodology. This has actually been achieved and the atmosphere in the company is good.”

Myszka also referred to the warmth of reception received by all. Phantom Liberty Critics and fans versus the bugged and unfinished release Cyberpunk 2077. “The entire development of Phantom LibertyIt has been proven that by treating employees well, they will give more and produce better work. It also results in a higher quality product. The trade union exists to maintain this high standard of working conditions and improve those elements that could be better.”

Ki did not reveal how many CD Projekt Red workers had joined the union, due to legal considerations. However, he noted that 10 people were necessary to create the union. The two founders said that they had yet to receive any response to the formation of the union from CD Projekt Red’s management, but that they had met with no resistance or interference yet. They hope to better the lives of game workers in Poland and educate them about the advantages of full-time employment, rather than freelance contracts which are prevalent.

Polygon has asked CD Projekt Red a comment.