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Namco distributing Witcher 3 in Europe

Sinan Kubba
Updated ·4 min read
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Namco Bandai captured the rights to distribute The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in Europe, after forming a deal with CD Projekt to bring the PS4, Xbox One and PC sequel to 24 countries across the continent. To recap, Warner Bros. is set to distribute the RPG in North America when it launches next year.

Namco's agreement with CD Projekt sounds far more harmonious than the debacle surrounding the rights to The Witcher 2. If you'll remember, CD Projekt had agreed to let the now defunct THQ distribute the game in Europe, Central and South America, and the Asia-Pacific region. That all changed when the French courts ruled that CD Projekt had to uphold prior commitments, and offer Namco a new distribution contract. Awkward...

Two years on and all is apparently forgotten and forgiven... or perhaps legally bound again. Either way, it'll be Namco bringing the game to Euro next-gen consoles in 2014.

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CD Projekt RED, the developer and publisher behind the highly anticipated fantasy RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, is excited to announce that NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S, a leading video game publisher, developer and distributor, will distribute the third part of The Witcher saga and join the studio in bringing the series to key markets in Europe.

"We've worked with NAMCO BANDAI Games before, so our partners there know both The Witcher and the ideals that drive us as a studio. We're convinced that they understand our vision for the game and that they will do a great job at letting gamers know how the game's open world and great story are going to change the next-gen RPG landscape," said Adam Badowski, Head of Studio, CD Projekt RED.

NAMCO BANDAI Games will be responsible for the distribution and promotion of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in Europe and will bring the game to PC, PlayStation®4 and Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft. The full list of countries includes: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Malta, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and United Kingdom.

"CD Projekt RED has well earned its marks as a premier, innovative studio and it is with extreme delight and pride that we are today confirming we will be adding the eagerly awaited Witcher 3 to our line-up next year" said Alberto González Lorca, VP Third Parties, NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe. "We look forward to being once again the European partner of CD Projekt RED, and providing first-class service to one of the most revered video game franchises as it is coming to next-generation consoles in 2014."

The first installment in the Witcher series was released in 2007 for the PC. The second installment hit the PC market in 2011 and was released for the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft a year later. The two games received over 200 awards. In February 2013, CD Projekt RED announced The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which is scheduled for a 2014 release and has garnered over 80 awards so far. The game will be released simultaneously for the PC and next-generation consoles: PlayStation®4 and Xbox One.

About NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S.
NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S., part of NAMCO BANDAI Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive content for platforms including all major video game consoles and PC, with marketing and sales operations in 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry's top video game franchises, including PAC-MAN™, Tekken™, SOULCALIBUR™, NARUTO™, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, Dragon Ball®, GALAGA™, RIDGE RACER™ and ACE COMBAT™. More information about the company and its products can be found at http://www.namcobandaigames.eu or http://www.facebook.com/namcobandaigames.europe


About CD Projekt RED
Development studio established in 2002 and based in Warsaw and Cracow, Poland. Creators of The Witcher and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. Both RPGs were praised by critics and fans, gathering over 200 awards and selling over 6 million copies to date. Originally a PC developer, CD Projekt RED has released The Witcher on Mac and The Witcher 2 both on the Xbox 360® games and entertainment system from Microsoft and Mac. The studio is now working on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the grand finale of the Geralt of Rivia saga. The game will be released in 2014 on Xbox One, Playstation®4 and PC. The developer is also working on Cyberpunk 2077 in collaboration with Mike Pondsmith, the original designer of the pen-and-paper Cyberpunk® futuristic RPG system in which the upcoming game is set. CD Projekt RED developers' mission is to take the passion they have for games and harness it to make the best RPGs in the world. Along with GOG.COM, the prime destination for the retro gaming enthusiast, CD Projekt RED is part of the Warsaw Stock Exchange listed (ISIN: PLOPTTC00011) CD Projekt Group.