00:00Now here is an interesting rumor that I have stumbled upon today. CDPR is
00:05reportedly working on an unannounced free-to-play Witcher co-op RPG for PC
00:10and mobile. And let me tell you, this rumor is fascinating because it could be
00:14either a smart expansion of the Witcher universe or it could be a bust, depending
00:19on how it's handled. Why it could be a good idea? Well, the Witcher world is
00:23perfect for co-op monster hunting. The core fantasy of being a Witcher already
00:27fits multiplayer surprisingly well. Taking contracts, preparing potions,
00:32tracking monsters and fighting difficult beasts alongside friends sounds like a
00:36natural evolution of the formula. I know what you're gonna say, witchers are usually
00:39loners and that's true, but there are situations where they kinda team up
00:43together so you can do that, split the loot and everybody goes their own way.
00:47Games like Warframe have shown that cooperative PvE monster hunting can
00:52support thousands of hours of gameplay if the progression is rewarding. I know
00:56because I play that game over 800 hours, so you know, I'm kinda speaking here from
01:00experience a bit. Anyway, next point is creating your own Witcher and that's
01:05something fans have wanted for years. And I have to admit I was one of them as
01:09well. I always wanted my own Witcher with my own school, appearances,
01:14specialization in either sign, alchemy or sword combat. And to be honest, that
01:18could be a really strong RPG hook. Now as far as the story is concerned, it
01:22apparently is going to be set in 1230, which is well before the main Witcher
01:26timeline. And that essentially gives CDPR room to tell stories without
01:31constantly worrying about events from Geralt's adventures. Maybe we could even
01:35meet him as some kind of an NPC or a quest giver, I don't know. It's definitely a
01:39possibility, so we'll see what happens in the future in that particular
01:43situation. Now why this whole new game could be a bust? Well let's start with the
01:48elephant in the room, which is free-to-play mobile. When I read that, it
01:52immediately raised concerns. So you have free-to-play, mobile, and on top of that,
01:59it appears that the report is pointing towards Scopely as the likely candidate
02:04that will make the game. Now who are these people? Well, Scopely's biggest
02:08successes, such as Monopoly Go and Marvel Strike Force, rely heavily on monetization
02:14systems that many traditional RPG fans dislike, myself included. So the biggest
02:20fear isn't that the game exists, it's that the progression could be designed
02:24around spending rather than gameplay. Also, when you are thinking about Witcher,
02:29the Witcher's biggest strength isn't combat. That's kind of something that came
02:33immediately on top of my head. Because when I'm talking with people about The
02:38Witcher 3 The Wild Hunt, we usually talk about characters, choices, stories, and moral
02:43ambiguity. I know, because we used to talk about these quest decisions that we are
02:48making for 2-3 hours non-stop in order to justify what we did and was it a good
02:53decision. And this example clearly shows you that people rarely talk about combat
02:58and I've never heard anyone saying that they really adore The Witcher combat and
03:02that's the reason why they're playing the game. A co-op action RPG focused on
03:06repeatable monster contracts risks stripping away the elements that made the
03:10franchise special. So I don't know how they're going to incorporate that. And
03:15similar games usually gravitate towards some kind of an endgame where just
03:19non-stop farming and grinding in order to be the very best, especially if the game
03:23is going to have some kind of a PvP element as well. Also, another thing pops to my
03:28mind, and while this might not be the biggest problem, CDPR may be spreading
03:33themselves too thin. If the report is accurate, CDPR is now connected to The Witcher 4,
03:39The Witcher Remake, so The Witcher 1 Remake, Project Sirius, whatever the hell that is,
03:44then we have new Cyberpunk projects, and obviously this rumored mobile co-op game.
03:49And I understand, not every project is being developed internally, but managing
03:54multiple Witcher products simultaneously creates the risk of franchise fatigue. And I
03:59would say that I'm really a huge fan of The Witcher franchise, but even I have these
04:04periods where I just don't want to look, touch, or play anything Witcher-related because I got
04:09oversaturated. So my overall take is that this co-op Witcher concept sounds generally promising.
04:15A multiplayer monster-hunting RPG where you build your own Witcher could be a great fit for the
04:21universe. However, the free-to-play mobile angle is what makes me cautious. Really freaking cautious.
04:28Because if progression is skill-based and monetization stays cosmetic, it could attract a huge audience.
04:35But if it adopts the typical mobile live service playbook, many long-time Witcher fans,
04:41me included, will probably dismiss it immediately. But in any case, I will definitely try it when it
04:47comes out because it's free, so, you know, no strings attached. And probably after the initial
04:52couple of hours, I will know whether or not this is going to be a good or a bad game.
04:56And that's basically it. That's the news. Thanks very much for watching and as always,
05:00like, share, subscribe, comment, all that good stuff. And that's it for me. Until the next one.
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