The recent PC release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered has sparked an unexpected response in online piracy communities. Despite the game being available without digital rights management (DRM) software, many users are actively encouraging each other to purchase the title, citing developer CD Projekt Red's history of generosity and fair practices.
In communities like Reddit's Crack Watch, while some users are downloading the game without payment, a prevailing sentiment among others is to financially support the developer. Top comments frequently praise CD Projekt Red as one of the most "consumer-friendly company around" and urge others to buy the game, with some expressing guilt about pirating such a "gem."
A History of Goodwill
This positive reception stems from CD Projekt Red's track record, even before the remastered release. When The Witcher 3 originally launched, the studio offered some DLC for free. Subsequent paid expansions were noted for providing significant content at a low cost, leading players to feel they received substantial value. While the troubled launch of Cyberpunk 2077 caused a dip in goodwill, CD Projekt Red's subsequent efforts to improve that game and its DLC have largely restored their reputation.
The fact that The Witcher 3 Remastered offers numerous quality-of-life improvements and is available as a free download for existing owners further bolsters this sentiment. For those who do not yet own the game, pirates themselves are pointing out that it is frequently available at significant discounts, questioning if there's anyone left who hasn't already purchased it.
Some in these communities also acknowledge the economic realities of PC gaming, with one user humorously noting the need to "pirate a 5080 or better" to meet the game's recommended specifications, highlighting the cost of high-end hardware.