CD Projekt Red Hypes ‘Better, Bigger, Greater’ Witcher 4

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Key Takeaways

  • The Witcher 4 will be “better, bigger, greater” than The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, a senior CDPR official said.
  • CDPR has a new development oversight process in place for The Witcher 4, which aims to ensure the game has a much smoother launch than Cyberpunk 2077.
  • CDPR moved to Unreal Engine 5 because doing so makes it easier to share technology and expertise across teams, which is key to its recent transformation from a single-project studio to one juggling multiple projects.

As a seasoned gamer and a die-hard fan of The Witcher series, I can hardly contain my excitement for The Witcher 4! CD Projekt Red‘s promise that it will be “better, bigger, greater” than its predecessors has me practically trembling with anticipation. After the rollercoaster ride that was Cyberpunk 2077’s launch, I’m more than ready to dive back into the world of Geralt and his epic adventures.

According to a senior representative from CD Projekt Red, The Witcher 4 is expected to surpass its predecessor in terms of quality, scale, and overall impact. This statement was made during a broader discussion about the company’s strategies for the development of the next Witcher game, which includes their choice to utilize Unreal Engine 5.

It wasn’t until March 2022 that Project Polaris, often referred to as The Witcher 4, was officially acknowledged to be in its early stages of development. Later on, CDPR announced that the fourth major installment of The Witcher series had moved into full-scale production by November 2024.

As a die-hard fan, I’ve been eagerly anticipating every morsel of information about Project Polaris from CD Projekt Red (CDPR). Recently, CDPR’s VP of Technology, Charles Tremblay, shared some intriguing insights about this upcoming title with Eurogamer. In a nutshell, he hinted that Project Polaris will surpass both The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 in terms of scale and quality. This comment underscores CDPR’s unwavering ambition to redefine the boundaries of large-scale RPGs, despite the financial challenges encountered during the ambitious development of Cyberpunk 2077, which ultimately led to its costly launch debacle, estimated at over $125 million in repairs.

CDPR Is Using a New Oversight Process for The Witcher 4

As a dedicated gamer, I’m eagerly looking forward to The Witcher 4, and I appreciate the efforts CDPR is taking to make sure its launch runs smoothly. A key part of this strategy seems to be a refined oversight process with more checks and safeguards in place. This new setup revolves around Tremblay, who acts as a liaison between different teams within CDPR during pre-production. He keeps tabs on their progress, offers suggestions, and ultimately advises the company’s higher-ups about whether a specific studio is ready to move forward with full-scale production. If a team isn’t quite there yet, their project gets held back, which could mean longer pre-production phases compared to CDPR’s historical practices.

The Witcher 4 Uses Unreal Engine 5 Because CDPR Is No Longer a 1-Project Studio

During the interview, Tremblay discussed that CDPR switched from their own RED Engine to Unreal Engine 5 for ‘The Witcher 4’. He stated that this move was driven by a practical need to transition CDPR from a single-project studio to one capable of developing multiple games simultaneously. Using Unreal Engine 5, which is also being used for the upcoming ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ sequel, supports this goal because it facilitates the sharing of technology and expertise between different projects, as Tremblay elaborated.

As of December 2024, the second installment in the Cyberpunk series, codenamed Project Orion, remains in its early stages of development. Consequently, it’s expected to be released following The Witcher 4, which, as of now, does not have a set release date.

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2024-11-30 01:37