In a press release today CD Projekt Red announced that Namco Bandai will assume control of all marketing and distribution efforts for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in Europe.
In all, Namco Bandai will publish the game in 24 countries. This follows a 2011 legal case in which a French court ruled that CD Projekt Red parent company Optimus SA had broken the terms of an agreement with Namco Bandai by offering publishing rights for The Witcher 2 in Europe, Asia, and, South America to THQ.
The court's decision led to a new distribution contract between the firms.
Adam Badowski, Head of Studio, CD Projekt Red commented:
“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."
Alberto González Lorca, of Namco Bandai Games Europe, added, “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 Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is set for release on PC, PS4, and Xbox One next year. In July, it was announced that Warner Bros. would publish the game in North America. The game is expected to be quite extensive and may last up to 100 hours.