Blizzard Hires Top Writer for Cyberpunk 2077 Away From CD Projekt Red

[Evil Avatar]

Blizzard is adding another top talent to its roster of game developers.

Former CD Projekt Red creative director Sebastian Stepien has left the Poland-based game studio for a new role at Blizzard Entertainment, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. A Blizzard rep said Stepien had joined the company in a development capacity. No further information about his new role was shared.

Stepien was one of three creative directors on CD Projekt Red's 2015 hit The Witcher 3 and served as a writer on the first two games in the fantasy series. Stepien was also the head writer for CD Projekt Red's upcoming Cyberpunk 2077, an open-world RPG set in the future.

Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most anticipated games currently in development, though no release date has been set.

Meanwhile, Blizzard is known for such high-profile franchises as Warcraft, Diablo, StarCraft and Overwatch.

HollywoodReporter.

I wonder what the mystery project Blizzard needs new writers for? Are we finally going to see a Warcraft 4?

[Sensei-X]

Maybe it's World of Overwatch, and it'll all come full circle after the cancellation of Titan.

[karaliusbronius]

I want more gameplay of Cyberpunk!! I'm so stoked for the game, CD Projekt Red is more for adults than the kiddy mainstream crap that Blizzard comes out with. Crap is just my opinion but I've played all their games and there are better games in each of their genres but fanboys of Blizzard just turn their eye to them. Its smart for them to get this creative director away but he is only doing this for the cash or because others at CD Projekt Red are showing themselves to be better.

[brandonjclark]

I think I said awhile back that Blizzard could do a Witcher-Style game very well. Also, that type of game is currently missing from their stable.

I think it's coming.

[Phoenix1985]

Considering the awful writing on Starcraft 2 and a lot of Diablo 3, they probably need that help. But then he might be constrained by their editorial mandates. Who knows?

[thatlukeguy]

They must be mostly finished and just polishing up the game. I'm hoping for a 2019 release.

[brandonjclark]

Originally Posted by thatlukeguy

They must be mostly finished and just polishing up the game. I'm hoping for a 2019 release.

[Exodus]

starcraft ghost thanks

[SpectralThundr]

Originally Posted by Phoenix1985

Considering the awful writing on Starcraft 2 and a lot of Diablo 3, they probably need that help. But then he might be constrained by their editorial mandates. Who knows?

Perhaps they realize both were dumpster wrecks narrative wise. Rumor has it D4 is in pre production. So say 2029-30

[actusoul]

Originally Posted by brandonjclark

I think I said awhile back that Blizzard could do a Witcher-Style game very well. Also, that type of game is currently missing from their stable.

I think it's coming.

I hope your right. I am still floored by God of War. If Blizzard could do a 3rd person or 1st person combat Fantasy game with a great story and all the traditional stats etc. The stat boosts would be evident in the combat. How about in the Diablo universe? This is game I would look forward too.

[Wizzkidd]

I wonder what the mystery project Blizzard needs new writers for? Are we finally going to see a Warcraft 4?

I wish, but I won't ever believe they'll make a real Warcraft game again until I see it happen.

[Chief Smash]

I think Blizzard needs to reboot their major franchises. Start with a Diablo 4 or a Warcraft 4 and hopefully this guy can help their abysmal writing. In the past, their games were fine, even great, and the story didn't harm much because they weren't always trying to be too ambitious. Once the stories started to get too big, the weakness in the writing showed. I looked past the major story flaws and still loved their games because they had fun mechanics and loads of polish. But overall I don't hold out much hope. I want to be wrong but I feel like this guy just jumped on a sinking ship.

[Vulture]

I wonder what Stepien is looking forward to, since C2077 is done writing wise, and we all know W4 is at least 4 years away. Did he take the Blizzard job in order to write something new or to reboot their existing properties.

/how good a deal de he get coming to Blizzard authority wise?

[ElektroDragon]

Need Diablo 4. Screw Warcraft. I mean, OK, it was one of the best RTS out there, but I tend to hate RTS.

[Skunk]

Originally Posted by ElektroDragon

Need Diablo 4. Screw Warcraft. I mean, OK, it was one of the best RTS out there, but I tend to hate RTS.

Yeah, so fuck everyone else right?

[Sensei-X]

People now: Boohooo, why won't Blizzard give us Diablo 4?
People then: ZOMG Diablo 3 is such a piece of rainbow colored shit!

[MavenACTG]

Originally Posted by Skunk

Yeah, so fuck everyone else right?

That is pretty much most online denizens below a certain age's MO!

[SpectralThundr]

Originally Posted by Sensei-X

People now: Boohooo, why won't Blizzard give us Diablo 4?
People then: ZOMG Diablo 3 is such a piece of rainbow colored shit!

If they went back to their roots and realized what made the first 2 great games, they could recapture that magic. Dark, gritty, lots of skills that were useful rather than cookie cutter builds since 99% of the skills in D3 are terrible, character building rather than streamlining to the point that it's just bad. etc.

Won't hold my breath of course as I've seen Blizzard as a sinking ship for far longer than most but it could happen.

[Chief Smash]

D2's build variety is just flat out overrated. Sure you could choose lots of different builds but there were really only a few correct builds. To say that 99% of D3's skills are useless but not call out D2 for the same isn't really fair. It was the illusion of choice. The writing in D2 is also overrated. That Worldstone thing at the end of the expansion was just stupid. The tone in D2 was also a step down from D1 so if we're going to hearken back to the old days, D1 was where it was at. It plays a bit slow and lacks some quality of life features by today's standards but overall it's still the best game in the series. Calling out D3 in favor of D2 is lazy. Personally, if it weren't for the horrendous writing, I count D3 post expansion as a superior game to D2.

[Terran]

Originally Posted by Skunk

Yeah, so fuck everyone else right?

I'm voting for you. RUN!