Former cinematic animator on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Lucie Hennet, has announced that she has joined CD Projekt RED. She moved from France to Warsaw, Poland to take on the position of cinematic animator at the studio, and while she hasn’t yet revealed what she might be working on, the Warsaw studio is confirmed to be developing The Witcher 4.
Hennet showcased some of her work during her tenure at Sandfall Interactive—which lasted from May 2023 to the end of 2024—through a showcase reel on ArtStation. It features plenty of motion capture footage for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Hennet was responsible for converting the raw motion capture footage into a cleaner version, which could then be further refined for the full game.
“During my time at Sandfall Interactive, my main responsibilities included cleaning up and refining body and facial motion capture, as well as managing data from Xsens to UE5,” wrote Hennet on ArtStation. “I also provided support on the motion capture sessions and contributed to building the animation pipeline for the cinematics.”
Development on The Witcher 4 has seemingly been going slow and steady, with CD Projekt RED also focusing on growing its team. Interestingly, December saw the studio add another cinematics-focused artist to its ranks—former Baldur’s Gate 3 senior cinematic artist Felix Pedulla.
“After an incredible and frankly wild six-year ride with the amazing team at Larian Studios, a new chapter begins,” wrote Pedulla on LinkedIn. “I’m so grateful for every chaotic, creative, and unforgettable moment we shared. We made some serious magic together, and I’ll forever cherish the lessons and memories. A huge thank you to all my incredible colleagues and friends I made.”
“As one adventure ends, another begins! I am absolutely thrilled to announce that I’m joining the legendary team at CD Projekt Red as a Senior Cinematic Designer! The opportunity to contribute to one of the most ambitious studios in the industry is a dream come true. Time to trade in my Baldur’s Gate dice for some Polish steel and get to work crafting some epic cutscenes.”
While few details about The Witcher 4 have been released in recent months, Noble Securities analyst Mateusz Chrzanowski has predicted that, when all is said and done, more than $800 million will have been spent on the RPG. In his analysis, while Chrzanowski noted that the development itself will likely end up costing CD Projekt around $388 million, marketing and other expenses will add on quite a bit, bringing the overall expenses to beyond the $800 million mark.
Rumors and reports by analysts have also indicated that, as the work on The Witcher 4 continues, CD Projekt RED has plans to bridge the gap between the upcoming RPG and its predecessor by releasing a new DLC for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. This DLC is expected to be priced at $30, and will likely end up being the start of a proper marketing push for The Witcher 4.
For more, check out what CD Projekt co-CEO Michał Nowakowski has to say about the role of generative AI in game development.
