CDPR CEO Michal Nowakowski Denies Sweet Baby Inc. Ties Despite Mounting Evidence saying otherwise...
"We are not working and never worked with Sweet Baby. Never even heard of them till recently tbh"
I'm going to get this out of the way right off the bat so you know where I'm coming from here - I don't trust CEOs. They lie, cheat, steal, and follow whatever direction the wind blows. Are there exceptions? I'm sure there are... but increasingly, it feels like more and more are just straight up disingenuous, playing both sides of the proverbial fence at any and all cost.
Michal Nowakowski, CEO of CD Projekt Red (CDPR), has denied any association with Sweet Baby Inc. (SBI), the consultancy firm best known for kicking off Gamergate 2.0 (despite how mainstream media tries to ignore the true). One of their employees, Chris Kindred, attempted to get Kabrutus's Steam account banned for daring to simply create a curation group listing all games Sweet Baby Inc. had worked on.
Sweet Baby Inc. states that they promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices in the gaming industry, but those have been, time and time again, wholeheartedly rejected by the vast majority of gamers. In reality, many gamers, including myself, feel as though they're more of an extortion mafia, forcing the hand of developers to bend the knee and work with them, or face being cancelled by their industry buddies - in my humble opinion, based off the evidence I've researched over the past year.
We're still allowed to have opinions, right...?
It all began when Philipp Weber, the Narrative Director at CDPR for The Witcher 4 (and a former Quest Designer on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077), took to X to share some of his insights on the studio's preparations for its next major title.
Weber wrote:
"2 years ago we released a new quest for The Witcher 3. New designers and writers worked on it preparing for The Witcher 4, together with one of our most senior quest designers, who is with us since the Witcher 1. All in all, it was the perfect start to getting back into the vibe."
CEO Michał Nowakowski then echoed his sentiment, Quote tweeting Philipp, stating:
"The Witcher 3 turns 10 this May. Around 100 of its developers are working with us to this day on our new projects, including The Witcher IV. Some are actually veterans from The Witcher 2 and The Witcher 1, including my esteemed co-CEO, @AdamBadowski, who has been with the series since its inception back in 2002."
However... not everyone was out there buying their attempt at creating a narrative here. Bucket (@Bucket_WFTFan on X) challenged them, stating:
"I love how they keep pushing the word that they still have staff who worked on the previous Witcher titles like we don't know they lost the prime meat from the bone. 😂😂 They also don't want to openly tell you about those Sweet Baby Inc employees working for them now."
In response, Nowakowski doubled down, replying:
"We are not working and never worked with Sweet Baby. Never even heard of them till recently tbh. Also, we have not lost prime meat as you put it."
This back and forth exchange highlights the growing skepticism in the communiuty (and for very good reason at this point) surrounding the CDPR CEO’s claims of "continuity" and raises some serious questions about the studio’s internal dynamics and especially - transparency when it comes to Sweet Baby Inc.
Yellow Flash replied with what many were thinking:
Evidence of Contradictions
There's been some extreme inconsistency of Nowakowski’s claims over the past few months. CDPR’s recent hiring of Mary Kenney, the former outspoken Sweet Baby Inc. employee and extremely vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ representation in games, has got to make you wonder about the studio’s ties behind the scenes to the controversial consultancy agency.
Kenney’s move to CDPR has been interpreted by some folks as indicative of a shift toward ideological hiring priorities, and how these kind of decisions directly alienate the studio’s original fan base.
Adding to that skepticism, we have to mention the elephant in the room, because sure, while not Sweet baby Inc. specifically, hiring Cian Maher. He is serving as the Franchise & Lore Designer at CDPR, and previously a "journalist" for The Gamer and other outlets. He appears to lack any real notable actual game development skills or relevant expertise... and instead, his track record is marred by a well-documented history of hostility toward gamers, including inflammatory remarks like expressing a desire to “punch” them.
Moving Teams
CDPR’s marketing push tries their best to emphasize the 'continuity' of its development team... while in reality, downplaying significant staff departures over the past few years:
Many of these former employees left reportedly because CDPR was becoming too woke, and have started their own companies. One being called Rebel Wolves, while others who have moved on to form another dubbed Blank Studios.
Nowakowski’s Dismissive Pattern
This isn’t the first time Nowakowski has faced backlash for dismissing valid concerns. In a separate exchange, he previously responded to claims from Endymion about CDPR’s struggles and DEI-driven recruitment practices by labeling them as “nonsense.”
However, CDPR’s publicly accessible DEI and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) documentation contradicts his stance, showing a clear commitment to such initiatives.
These DIRECT contradictions have led many to question Nowakowski’s transparency and leadership. It feels like he's talking out of both sides of his mouth every time it comes to DEI.
A Studio Losing Its Identity
The ongoing backlash reflects the growing discontent among CDPR’s core original audience. Once celebrated for its player-first philosophy and groundbreaking storytelling, the studio now faces accusations of prioritizing corporate initiatives in DEI agendas and ideological goals at the expense of quality. Nowakowski’s continued firm denials, coupled with the evidence saying otherwise, have done nothing to restore confidence among fans.
If CDPR’s leadership continues to ignore concerns, the studio risks further alienating everyone in the community that propelled it to success initially. For many, Nowakowski’s words have become emblematic of the broader disconnect between the company’s promises and their own actions.
CDPR is in the midst of an extreme identity crisis, and they have no one to blame but themselves...
~Smash
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