CD Projekt warns of layoffs as The Witcher: Monster Slayer is being closed in 2023
Developer Spokko is also being closed, and there will be layoffs.
CD Projekt has announced that The Witcher: Monster Slayer, the Pokémon Go-like game of monster hunting that debuted last year, is being shut down. Anyone still playing has got some time yet to walk the Path before the end comes, though, as the closure won't actually happen until June 30, 2023.
"We are proud that we were able to create a location-based AR experience that captured what it was like to be a witcher in real life and gave the community a chance to battle Witcher-world monsters up close and in person," the development team said in the shutdown announcement. "This is what made The Witcher: Monster Slayer such a unique experience in The Witcher franchise.
"We are very thankful for sharing all of this with such an amazing and passionate community from all over the world. This journey, filled with quests, events, and adventure, would not have been possible without you—together, we defeated over 100 million monsters worldwide, after all!"
The Witcher: Monster Slayer will remain on the App Store and Google Play until January 31, 2023, but no further content, including new monsters, armor, quests, timed and daily tasks or events, will be added. Real-money transactions in the in-game shop will be disabled, but players will still be able to purchase items using whatever in-game currency they still have kicking around. On June 30, 2023, everything goes offline for good.
Monster Slayer looked potentially interesting when we got our first look at it last year, but ultimately didn't deliver on its promise. Senior editor Wes Fenlon described it as "boring and disappointing" after spending some time roaming around with it shortly after launch: "Basically, Monster Slayer takes lots of things I like from The Witcher 3 and puts them in a game that I have no interest in actually playing," he wrote. Others apparently felt the same way, as CD Projekt said the game "did not reach" its business expectations.
The Witcher: Monster Slayer will be the second CD Projekt game to be closed in 2023: The studio announced yesterday that the Witcher-based CCG Gwent will also end development at the end of 2023, although CD Projekt hopes that the community will take over and keep the wheels turning.
As for Monster Slayer developer Spokko, which CD Projekt acquired in 2018, it too is being shuttered. CD Projekt said some Spokko employees will be offered positions elsewhere in the company, but added that "there will be some staff members who will, unfortunately, be let go." It did not specify how many employees will be laid off as a result of the studio closure.