CD Projekt Red, the developers of The Witcher series, have offered more financial compensation to Andrzej Sapkowski, the creator of the book series their games are based on.
This comes fresh of the heels of Sapkowski's outburst late last year in which he demanded a further $16.1 Million in royalties for the series based on his work. At the time CD Projekt Red rejected his demands saying "the demands expressed in the notice are groundless." in a statement released in October. Now it seems like they've changed their minds, and are offering Mr. Sapkowski an undisclosed amount for their use of The Witcher license.
Although the exact amount hasn't been released, according to Puls Biznesu it is going to be much less than the demanded $16.1 Million. CD Projekt Red maintain that although the amount is less than asked for, it is considerably more than they are obliged to give. It is understood that the payment is being made to keep a healthy working relationship with Sapkowski, as he is the creator of the source material for their flagship franchise.
Both parties have agreed to the new amount and, according to their representatives, have done so amicably. The relationship with Sapkowski may not be immediately important to CD Projekt Red as they don't currently have plans for any more Witcher games. However, with the massive success of the series overall, it is likely that they will want to keep their licensing options open for future development and they have the ongoing Gwent: The Witcher Tales.
