“It was chaos”: How The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2 are learning from decades of CD Projekt’s documentation mistakes
CD Projekt Red is implementing significant improvements to its internal development documentation practices for The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2, directly addressing historical problems where critical files were lost or required reverse engineering from existing assets. According to veteran studio staff, the company has long struggled with proper record-keeping on previous projects, creating what was described as “chaos” in production workflows.
Both upcoming games are now being developed under a new production methodology that mandates up-to-date internal documentation at each development milestone. This systematic approach to record-keeping aims to create a stronger foundation not only for these specific titles but for future Witcher and Cyberpunk installments as well. The standardized documentation process will track everything from narrative decisions to technical implementations and production workflows.
While the documentation initiative may seem unglamorous compared to technical features like Unreal Engine implementations or narrative additions such as potential character resurrections, CD Projekt views it as critical infrastructure. By establishing these practices now, the studio aims to prevent the institutional knowledge gaps that plagued previous productions and ensure that future teams have clear, accessible records of all major development decisions and processes.