At the DICE 2024 keynote last week, Gabe Amantangelo, game director at CD Projekt Red, opened with a revealing anecdote. He recounted a conversation with a concerned cafe employee in Poland months after the tumultuous launch of Cyberpunk 2077, who simply asked, “What happened?”
Reflecting on the game’s journey since then, Amantangelo acknowledged that despite the rocky start, it’s now something they can look back on with a sense of humor.
He shed light on the myriad pressures the Polish game developer encountered during both the release and post-release phases of the futuristic RPG. Amantangelo described a scenario where young, relatively inexperienced colleagues were thrust into intense development cycles alongside external pressures from friends and the broader gaming community.
Transitioning to the studio’s internal dynamics, Amantangelo emphasized the importance of motivating their staff and adapting their development operations. Central to this was restructuring how CD Projekt Red’s departments collaborated, particularly in response to identified pain points.
“We had to reorganize our approach,” he explained, detailing the implementation of a streamlined pipeline and the assignment of product owners to key areas of development. This restructuring aimed to resolve conflicts efficiently and empower decision-makers within each department.
For instance, while Amantangelo oversaw narrative design, other leads were responsible for gameplay and world sandbox design, fostering a cohesive approach to development.
This new organizational structure proved instrumental in the successful release of updates like Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 and the Phantom Liberty DLC in 2023. Amantangelo emphasized that this approach aimed to distribute ownership, empower team members, and ensure alignment across departments.
Furthermore, it facilitated more effective collaboration and communication, enhancing the quality of work and fostering a culture of shared responsibility.
Looking ahead, Amantangelo stressed the importance of integrating quality assurance (QA) early in the development pipeline. He emphasized the value of playtesting and understanding the context of each element within the game, despite the challenges of balancing passion with practicality.
In concluding his keynote, Amantangelo underscored the studio’s willingness to adapt and learn from past mistakes, emphasizing the collective effort that led to Cyberpunk 2077’s turnaround. He expressed gratitude to the player community for their support and second chance, recognizing their pivotal role in the game’s success and ongoing evolution.
