Girls In The Game! Turns Five: Embarking on the Path To Game Dev

When CD PROJEKT RED and the Perspektywy Education Foundation launched Girls in the Game! — Dziewczyny w grze! in Polish — in 2020, it felt like the start of a bold new quest. The idea was simple but ambitious: open doors for young women in game development, give them tools and guidance, and show them their voices belong in the video game industry.

The program’s patron is Karolina Grochowska, one of the pioneers of the Polish video game industry and a producer on The Witcher series, who was a charismatic, ambitious, and warm-hearted leader. Karolina passed away in 2014 after a long and courageous battle with cancer, but Girls in the Game! carries her legacy forward.

Five years after it launched, Girls in the Game! has grown into a community of students, mentors, and alumni who are already entering game dev. Its fifth edition is now open for applications, meaning until October 15, 2025, you can sign up to become one of our new mentees on the official website. The program is available to high school students living in Poland.

Why the Program Exists

The numbers explain the need for a program like Girls in the Game. According to the 2024 IQS Game Story Report, Poland has 17 million gamers, almost half of them women. Every day, 2.3 million women play on consoles or PCs, and nearly a quarter of those describe gaming as their passion. But women make up only 20% of the people creating games.

Girls in the Game! tackles that head on by offering each participant a scholarship, practical workshops, and year-long mentorship with a CD PROJEKT RED professional.

Building a Community

Since 2020, more than 3,500 girls have applied, and over 60 graduates are now studying game-related subjects, launching projects, or working in studios across Poland, including CD PROJEKT RED itself. More than 30 alumni have come back as mentee buddies, creating a chain of support where knowledge and encouragement flow forward with every edition.

“When we launched five years ago, we dreamed of opening the doors of game dev to young women and showing them they belong here,” said our Culture, Diversity, and Inclusion Director Agnieszka Szamałek-Michalska. “Today, we see how much this program has grown and how real its impact is on participants’ careers.”

Bianka Siwińska, President of the Perspektywy Education Foundation, added: “The four editions so far have proven that girls’ fascination with game dev is not just a juvenile hobby, but a true passion that drives them toward growth, education, and building real career plans. Program alumni go on to study relevant fields, take internships at development studios, land their first jobs in game dev, launch their own projects, and begin climbing the professional ladder.”

Girls’ fascination with game dev is not just a juvenile hobby, but a true passion that drives them toward growth, education, and building real career plans.

Our REDs are eager to get involved too. “I want to break the stereotypes that still exist in our industry and raise awareness that game development is a space for everyone,” said our Level Designer Bartłomiej Pyrko. “My goal is to show students the incredible opportunities within this industry, and being able to mentor and guide them through this journey is a dream come true for me.”

Our Senior Engineer in Animation Adam Dutkiewicz, made clear Girls in the Game! benefits the entire industry, too. “We need to grow experts around ourselves,” he said. “It’s hard to hire an expert. So, if there’s something I can do to spread knowledge and help at least one person convert their passion into a profession, I’m into it.”

Why Mentoring Works

Mentoring built on trust is an exchange, not a favor — it’s an incredibly effective form of professional development for both parties. “I want to show girls that this is their place,” said Olga Cyganiak, our Senior Producer and a mentor for the third and fourth editions of Girls in the Game!

“Working in gaming can be incredibly satisfying, and by achieving their dreams, they become role models for others. For myself, I love the fresh energy mentees bring. My first mentee taught me a lot, offering new perspectives on familiar topics, and I look forward to learning from each new mentee too.”

Mentees leave the program with new confidence and skills, while mentors sharpen their leadership, communication, and even technical expertise along the way.

The impact of previous editions is clear: 100% of Girls in the Game! mentors report professional growth and stronger leadership skills, and 98% choose to return for another edition. “For me, mentoring is about sharing knowledge and experience to help others unlock their potential and overcome challenges,” said Monika Janowska, our Senior Producer and a mentor for the third, fourth, and upcoming fifth, editions.

“Every meeting is not only a chance to support my mentee but also an opportunity for my own growth, to see problems from a new perspective, and to build lasting relationships that strengthen our industry.”

The Path of the Mentee

The strongest proof of the program’s impact comes from its alumni, who leave Girls in the Game! with new skills, clarity, and determination to claim their place in game dev. “Above all else, I took from the program the certainty that I want to tie my future to creating games and grow as a programmer in this field,” said Marta Błaszczyk, a mentee from the third edition. “It gave me courage and showed me dreams are worth pursuing.”

For Martyna Hedeszyńska, also a mentee of the third edition of Girls in the Game!, the experience was about breaking stereotypes. “The program showed me I can achieve the ambitious goals I have, and that despite what you sometimes hear, the fact that I am a woman does not make me a worse programmer,” she said.

Others found the confidence to follow their dreams. “Before Girls in the Game! I thought I would study economics, which I wasn’t really interested in,” said Kamila Meller, a third edition mentee. “The program helped me realize that my dream of working in game dev was within reach, and I should do what I love.”

The program helped me realize that my dream of working in game dev was within reach, and I should do what I love.

For Weronika Małażewska, also of the third edition, the mentorship gave her clear steps forward: “Thanks to my mentor’s support and many conversations with other animators, I chose my own educational path — combining part-time studies with online animation courses. I also got into the RED Summer Internship, where I continue to grow my skills.”

Some graduates, like Agata Świderska, a mentee of the first edition of Girls in the Game!, are already back in the industry too. “Taking part in the program confirmed my decision to become a 3D Animator,” she said. “I got my first job in a Polish studio, and this summer I returned to CD PROJEKT RED as a Cinematic Animation intern.”

Similarly, Beata Orlińska of the second edition recalls how her childhood fascination turned into a real career path. “When I first crossed the threshold of CD PROJEKT RED, I realized that working with what fascinates me — games — was within reach. The program cleared my doubts, gave me first experience in level design, and now, two years later, I’m back at the studio as an intern.”

Together, these journeys show what the program really delivers: confidence, direction, and skills that open doors.

Looking Ahead

The fifth edition of Girls in the Game! is an incredible moment of reflection for us. Celebrating five years is one thing, but having proof that this is a sustainable and effective initiative is something else. Girls in the Game! continues to produce confident students, dedicated mentors, and an industry that is slowly becoming more balanced and inclusive.

If you want to be a part of it, applications for the fifth edition are open until October 15, 2025 on the official website.