The head of CD Projekt stated the important role BioWare played in the creation of the first The Witcher
CD Projekt co-head Michał Nowakowski, following the news about BioWare's closure, stated that the Canadian studio played a significant role in the history of the Polish company and helped bring the first The Witcher to market.
According to Nowakowski, the collaboration began when CD Projekt gained the rights to localize Baldur’s Gate for Poland. Later, the company was involved in selling the series' games in Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. He noted that BioWare later assisted CD Projekt during its own RPG development stage.
"BioWare was a massive part of CDPR's history," Nowakowski wrote on X. "Later on, they greatly helped us: they provided the engine for Witcher 1, shared their expertise, and even gave us space at their E3 booth."
This refers to the Aurora Engine, which BioWare used in Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old Republic, and Jade Empire, among others. This engine was also used in The Witcher— the game that marked CD Projekt's beginning as a developer.
CD Projekt co-founder Marcin Iwiński previously linked the start of work on The Witcher to the experience gained during the collaboration on Baldur’s Gate in an interview with Polygon. After a localization deal for Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance fell through due to issues with Interplay, the studio quickly shifted to its own project.