CD Projekt aimed to sell 6 million copies of The Witcher 3 at launch, but feared Batman: Arkham Knight would eat into those numbers. The company truly worried another blockbuster would “crush” their RPG when it debuted.

The legacy of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt remains strong, even more than ten years after its original launch. CD Projekt built a dark fantasy RPG that not only won 2015’s Game of the Year but also sold millions and brought Geralt’s world to a global audience. Back in 2015, Geralt and his companions won over the hearts of players everywhere, and years later the studio has looked back on that fateful launch—and who their biggest fear was.

CD Projekt RED Was Afraid of Batman: Arkham Knight

At release, CD Projekt would have been happy to hit six million units sold—a goal the company itself considered ambitious, but which has now been shattered with more than 50 million sold, making The Witcher 3 one of the best-selling games of all time. Co-CEO Michal Nowakowski admits those goals seemed “super ambitious” back then, as he shared in an interview with PC Gamer.

The RPG’s explosive success is clear: six million copies sold in just three months, and even the launch of Batman: Arkham Knight couldn’t steal its thunder. Rocksteady’s game was among the year’s most anticipated releases, and Nowakowski says the team truly feared Batman would “crush” The Witcher 3 at launch. In the end, though, The Witcher 3 kept selling for years while Arkham Knight did well—despite its PC port being remembered as one of the worst in history.

A decade later, the contrast between the studios is stark. Both have weathered their own crises—CD Projekt RED with Cyberpunk 2077’s rocky release and comeback, Rocksteady with its biggest flop ever, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which led to layoffs and huge losses at Warner Bros. Games. Still, Rocksteady is reportedly going back to what made them famous: a new Batman game could be on the way.

Source : 3djuegos