“We could speak as equals.” CDPR’s relationship with Mike Pondsmith was completely different from the one with Andrzej Sapkowski

Cyberpunk tabletop RPG creator Mike Pondsmith explained why his collaboration with CD Projekt RED went smoothly—unlike the studio’s relationship with Andrzej Sapkowski. According to Pondsmith, the key to success was a common language and an understanding of the industry.

In an interview, he shared that he began his career in the digital field and only later transitioned to the world of tabletop RPGs. This helped him better understand the structure and limitations of game development. Thanks to this, communication with the CD Projekt team went without conflicts — they spoke “as equals”.

He noted that many writers unfamiliar with the gaming industry fail to consider its specifics — which becomes a cause of tension in joint work. He, however, had experience collaborating even with Microsoft, so during the creation of Cyberpunk 2077, he immediately compromised wherever needed.

Pondsmith also secured complete creative freedom over the character Morgan Blackhand — one of the key figures in the universe. According to him, respect for the author’s vision and open dialogue with the developers made the project stronger.

Pondsmith’s example shows that successful collaboration is possible if the parties are willing to listen to each other and are familiar with internal industry processes.

Video: https://youtu.be/Cthec500Ofo

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Cover image credit: CDPR. Cover source: Steam