CD Projekt Red welcomes new AI director, who joins The Witcher 4 studio "after 8 years of building memorable RPGs at BioWare" like Mass Effect 2 and 3

As work on The Witcher 4 continues to press on, CD Projekt Red opens the door to new faces with plenty of experience under their belts – like Dorian Kieken, the studio's new AI director and a hardened BioWare veteran boasting credits on gems from the Mass Effect series.

Kieken worked at BioWare for a solid eight years, as per his LinkedIn profile, starting as a producer on titles like Sonic Chronicles before moving on to act as development director and co-founder of the company's Montreal studio.

He then undertook projects like Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 – DLC included. Since leaving the team in 2015, he's gone on to found his own AI startup: AI Redefined, also known by the acronym "AIR."

Now, he's returning to game development, it seems – and he's not just going to any studio. Kieken is working with CD Projekt Red as the company's new AI director, as he reveals in an online post.

"After eight years of building memorable RPGs at BioWare and eight years of building cutting-edge AI solutions at AI Redefined, it is finally time to bring all of that together in my new role at CDPR as AI Director," he writes.

The new AI lead then explains that he'll be "responsible for the company's AI vision and strategy," and is "so excited" to be there. It's pretty cool, honestly, especially as it's not the first instance of CD Projekt Red welcoming knowledgeable devs recently.

Two months ago, former Baldur's Gate 3 developer Felix Pedulla joined CD Projekt Red as the team's newest senior cinematic designer, with other positions opening shortly after. As for Kieken's AI startup, AI Redefined, he posted late last year that it had been "acquired by CM Labs."

Fingers crossed that Kieken settles in nicely, and the next few years are just as bright for The Witcher masterminds as the past decade.

The Witcher 4 will cost CD Projekt almost $800 million between development and marketing, estimates analyst who also predicts new The Witcher 3 DLC this year