Microsoft wanted to take over Polish developers. On the CD Projekt RED list

Microsoft is still filing antitrust clarifications that are holding up its $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard. As part of its filing with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, a company must publish court documents. We learn from them that the American giant had a crush on many Polish developers.

Microsoft wanted to take over CD Projekt RED, Techland, People Can Fly

The company provided a list of as many as one hundred different entities from the gaming industry that it considered as acquisition or merger targets. Of course, Microsoft couldn’t take over all of them. However, the company spent many months considering which companies would be the best addition to the Redmond giant’s portfolio. The list included:

• Bungie

• CD Projekt RED

• Techland

• People Can Fly

• Crytek

• Gearbox

• FromSoftware

• Larian

• Remedy Entertainment

• 4A Games

• IO Interactive

• Paradox Interactive

• SEGA

• 505Games

• Focus Home Interactive

In addition to the creators of The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, the old plan to take over the creators of the Dying Light series from Wrocław seems equally interesting. People Can Fly’s former glory has faded a bit in recent years, but the Warsaw studio cooperated with Microsoft by debuting the Outriders game on Game Pass.

Attention is also drawn to Gearbox, responsible for the Borderlands series, the creators of the extremely successful Dark Souls and Elden Ring from the Japanese FromSoftware, and the legendary SEGA, still responsible for Sonic, and series such as Yakuza and Total War.

The comparison also shows the passage of time, as Bungie was acquired by Sony in July last year. In January 2022, Microsoft announced its intention to take over Activision Blizzard.

CD Projekt RED not for sale

However, everything indicates that the CD Projekt RED management board is not thinking about selling the company. As we wrote in Wprost.pl, at the end of May, rumors appeared on the Internet that the Polish studio might be taken over by Sony.

– CD Projekt is not for sale. We want to remain independent. I believe that we have a great strategy, not easy to implement, but exciting, we will follow our own path – Kiciński firmly emphasized, at the same time reassuring the company’s investors. The company’s CEO added that these reports are “pure rumors.”