Project Sirius, the long-in-development Witcher multiplayer game from CD Projekt Red, has been hit by another round of staffing cuts. According to reporting, 18 developers have been affected at The Molasses Flood, the studio handling the project.
Nine people were laid off, while nine others were reassigned to different projects within the studio. The changes were described as part of a broader shift in development strategy. CD Projekt Red has not issued a public statement on the moves.
The Molasses Flood, known previously for The Flame in the Flood and Drake Hollow, was brought under CD Projekt Red’s umbrella to work on the Witcher multiplayer title. Project Sirius first surfaced publicly around 2022 and has remained one of the most opaque projects in the company’s pipeline. Beyond confirmation that it is a multiplayer game set in the Witcher universe, official details have been scarce.
This is not the first disruption the project has faced. In 2023, development was rebooted and 29 staff members were let go as the team was restructured. The latest cuts continue a pattern of instability for a game that has yet to show gameplay or share a clear vision with the public.
CD Projekt Red currently maintains one of the fuller development slates among major Western publishers. The company is working on The Witcher 4 as its next mainline single-player entry, a new expansion for The Witcher 3 titled Songs of the Past, a remake of the original Witcher game, the successor to Cyberpunk 2077, and an original open-world IP. Project Sirius sits alongside these efforts as the multiplayer experiment within the Witcher franchise.
Multiplayer projects have proven difficult across the industry, and CD Projekt Red’s own history with online features is limited compared with its single-player reputation. The decision to pursue a Witcher multiplayer game was always going to require a different skill set and production approach than the studio’s traditional RPGs. The repeated staffing adjustments suggest the team is still searching for the right scope, design, or production method.
The lack of public communication about Sirius has left fans with little to follow. While The Witcher 4 and the Cyberpunk sequel generate regular discussion and occasional updates, the multiplayer project has stayed mostly silent since its early reveal. Each round of layoffs without an accompanying explanation or status update reinforces the sense that the game remains in a difficult phase of development.
Layoffs of this kind have become frequent across the industry. Even projects that are not being canceled can lose significant portions of their teams when publishers adjust priorities or respond to financial targets. In this case, the reassignment of some staff to other work inside The Molasses Flood indicates the studio itself is not being closed, but the multiplayer Witcher game is being narrowed or reshaped.
For the developers who lost their positions, the timing adds to an already challenging job market. Multiple large companies have reduced headcount in 2025 and 2026, increasing competition for remaining roles. The nine people let go from Sirius join a larger group of experienced developers currently looking for new placements.
What the latest cuts mean for the long-term future of Project Sirius is unclear. A shift in development strategy could mean a smaller scope, a different multiplayer format, a longer timeline, or a quieter period while the remaining team reassesses the foundation of the game. Without official comment from CD Projekt Red, any conclusions remain speculative.
The company’s broader Witcher plans continue moving forward. Songs of the Past is expected to receive attention around Gamescom, and The Witcher 4 remains the flagship single-player priority. Project Sirius occupies a different category: an experimental multiplayer effort that has now gone through two significant staffing reductions without ever showing itself to the public.
Until CD Projekt Red decides to speak about the project’s status, the only concrete information is the human cost of the latest adjustment. Eighteen developers have been moved off Project Sirius. Nine of them no longer have roles at the studio. The Witcher multiplayer game continues in some form, but its path remains as uncertain as it has been since the 2023 reboot.