CD Projekt Jabs at Ubisoft’s Pretentious “AAAA Games” Nonsense
Ubisoft’s New “AAAA Games” Designation Ridiculed by CD Projekt
Ever the ambitious overachiever, Ubisoft recently announced they’re developing “AAAA games” now, because AAA apparently just wasn’t pretentious enough. In a move sure to elicit eye rolls from gamers everywhere, Ubisoft is redefining mediocrity.
How Many A's Make a Good Game?
If Ubisoft put half as much effort into gameplay, writing, and polish as they do absurd marketing terms, they might actually release a great game. Alas, the “AAAA” designation seems to stand for “Apathetic, Amateurish, Abysmal, Absurd” given Ubisoft’s track record. If you have to label your game “AAAA” to convince people it’s good, it probably isn’t.
CD Projekt Trolls Ubisoft
Leave it to CD Projekt Red to bring Ubisoft back down to earth. In a recent financial call, CDPR CEO Adam Kiciński threw shade at Ubisoft’s silly labeling system. When asked about CDPR’s game development targets, Kiciński said “We leave the ‘triple-A’ or ‘quadruple-A’ designations to others. For us, the most important thing is that we're making games that we'd like to play ourselves." Ouch. Looks like we know who the real AAA dev is.
With mic drop moments like this, is it any wonder CD Projekt Red is gaming’s darling? They let the quality of their games speak for itself - no flashy marketing terms required. Meanwhile, Ubisoft remains content to rest on the mediocrity of their “AAAA” laurels. But hey, what’s in a name? Everything, if you’re Ubisoft.
The Meaninglessness of Game Rating Systems
These ratings are as pointless as they are pretentious. They’re meant to imply some sort of elite quality tier, but everyone knows they’re just marketing buzzwords. CD Projekt Red poked fun at this nonsense by announcing they’re working on an “AAAAA” game. The cheeky devs understand that a higher number of As doesn’t automatically make a game better.
Content over letter grades
What really matters is the actual content and quality of a game, not some arbitrary letter grade. The Witcher 3 is considered a masterpiece not because CD Projekt Red labeled it “AAAA”, but because it featured memorable characters, an epic story, and a massive open world. Ratings are meaningless if a game is buggy, dull, or lacking in creativity.
While Ubisoft obsesses over framing their games as elite “AAAA” experiences such as Skull & Bones, CD Projekt Red wisely focuses on the fundamentals of crafting innovative games with cinematic storytelling and high replay value. Maybe the other studios should spend less time worrying about their marketing labels and more time improving their game design. After all, that’s what really determines whether a title is destined for greatness or just another forgettable flop.
CD Projekt’s Track Record of AAA Quality Without the Pretense
CD Projekt Red has been churning out AAA games for over a decade without resorting to the kind of nonsensical labels Ubisoft is now touting. They built The Witcher series into a blockbuster franchise through good old-fashioned hard work and quality, not gimmicky buzzwords.
While Ubisoft was busy coming up with fancy new “AAAA” standards, CDPR was quietly working on Cyberpunk 2077. And when that game launched, it swiftly racked up over 13 million sales at full price, despite some technical issues at launch. Compare that to Ubisoft’s own Watch Dogs: Legion, which had to be given away for free just to build interest.
Maybe Ubisoft should spend less time devising new categories of game quality and more time actually improving their games. CD Projekt Red didn’t need an “AAAA” designation to create The Witcher 3, widely considered one of the greatest games of all time. They achieved that through innovative storytelling, immersive world-building, and a genuine passion for their craft.
Rather than slap misleading labels on lackluster products, studios should focus on the fundamentals that really matter to gamers: compelling stories, engaging gameplay, and technical polish. CD Projekt Red understands this, which is why they continue to raise the bar for open-world action RPGs and produce some of the most memorable gaming experiences ever made. They don’t need flashy buzzwords to market their games — the quality speaks for itself.
Ubisoft may want to take some notes.