CD Projekt boss pays tribute to BioWare for helping bring The Witcher to life 20 years ago: 'BioWare has been a massive part of CDPR history'

BioWare was a legendary studio, and its shocking closure today has inspired numerous tributes from fans and fellow game developers alike. One of the most notable came from CD Projekt joint CEO Michał Nowakowski, who credited the studio for the big role it played in bringing The Witcher to life.

It's hard to overstate the impact BioWare had on computer RPGs, from effectively resurrecting the genre in the 1990s with Baldur's Gate through the creation of Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect. But less well known, outside of RPG fan circles at least, is that its influence goes far beyond that. CD Projekt, which is arguably the contemporary equivalent of BioWare, literally got started with BioWare games.

The relationship began when CD Projekt approached BioWare and Interplay about localizing Baldur's Gate for Poland; it got the gig, and the Polish release became a major hit. …