CD Projekt is in “a really dangerous place”, says Anthem’s executive producer, pointing to ballooning costs of making games of that scope and quality
Mark Darrah, former executive producer at BioWare, has warned that CD Projekt Red is in “a really dangerous place” due to escalating costs of developing AAA games of significant scope and quality. Drawing from his extensive experience—including work on Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, Anthem, and Dragon Age—Darrah argues that the triple-A industry has become “over-specialised to the point of hyper-fragility.”
According to Darrah, current game development challenges are becoming increasingly unsustainable as production budgets balloon and complexity multiplies. He predicts a “bifurcation” is coming, suggesting the industry will fragment into distinct segments as existing business models prove untenable. His comments reflect broader industry concerns about whether the current AAA development model can remain financially viable, particularly for studios undertaking ambitious projects with massive budgets.
Darrah’s warnings carry significant weight given his firsthand experience managing high-profile game development, including the troubled launch of Anthem. His perspective suggests that even established studios like CD Projekt Red face serious financial and operational risks when attempting to maintain AAA production standards while managing rapidly escalating development costs.