The dispute began when Sapkowski? reached out to CD Projekt in 2018 with the demand that he receive $16 million in additional compensation for the company’s continued use of the property he originally created.

The two parties had originally forged an agreement that allowed for CD Projekt’s legitimate use back in 1997, but at the time Sapkowski? opted for one lump payment rather than a deal that would see him reap continued gains off the series’ success as a video game. He had done so, according to a 2017 Eurogamer interview, based on the belief that The Witcher games wouldn’t succeed.