The Witcher 4 is seemingly happening as development on the new game is underway. CD Projekt Red is officially going public with their progress on The Wild Hunt. Overall, the book series turned game series turned Netflix Series is at peak popularity. The game developer, however, is coming off one of the biggest release blunders of all time with Cyberpunk 2077. There’s a lot to unpack here but the heart of it all is that a single blog reignited the gaming community’s interest in the series. The Witcher New Saga announcement was certainly a surprise but we did know it was coming. What we didn’t know was that the developer would make a huge change to the way they’re making this title. Here’s what we know.
A New Saga Ahead for The Witcher 4
Image Credit: CD Projekt Red
In a blog post announcing a new saga for The Witcher, CD Projekt Red is ready to move forward with The Witcher 4. The company announced that the new title is “currently in development, kicking off a new saga for the franchise.” Additionally, CD Projekt Red had a major announcement regarding the engine they use to develop this game and future projects. “This is an exciting moment as we’re moving from REDengine to Unreal Engine 5, beginning a multi-year strategic partnership with Epic Games,” the company announced.
That’s a huge switch if you’re familiar with The History of CD Projekt Red. A huge reason The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt was so successful was the engine they built to develop the game. This engine, REDengine, helped capitalize on the progress the studio made in the first two entries of the franchise. Not to mention, it offered one of the most impressive RPG experiences of the last console generation. Our Managing Editor Joshua actually just recently played the game and wrote up some tips for the First Time Playing Witcher 3.
Overall, the engine change is a big move. If you know anything about Epic Games, then you know that the upcoming Unreal Engine 5 is likely to revolutionize the games industry. It couldn’t come at a better time, where CD Projekt Red needs a win.
CD Projekt Red Needs to Nail This One
Image Credit: CD Projekt Red
The consensus around Cyberpunk 2077 is that, at its core, it’s a good game. It might even be a great game. If you’ve played it, then you likely ran into a bunch of issues at launch and the subsequent months. PC gamers had less issues throughout the game’s life so far. That said, the developer who now turns to work on another massive project lost a lot of good faith with the gaming community.
The Witcher 3 made CD Projekt Red one of the most consumer-friendly and well-liked studios in the world. The Witcher 4 will need to not so much regain those titles but rebuild trust with the people who played Cyberpunk and felt like the company rushed its release. The new game set in The Witcher world is going to be on a brand new engine. That in and of itself is a gamble.
Altogether, it’s likely that we’ll find The Witcher 4 to be a much smoother project than Cyberpunk 2077. I can’t imagine the studio will mess another major release up like that. If they do, then we might be seeing a completely unprecedented collapse of a major AAA studio. If you have thoughts on the new game, then let us know in the comments!
Featured Image Credit: CD Projekt Red
Taylor is the Gaming Editor of Comic Years and a lifelong fan of video games. He holds two degrees in Political Communication and wrote a Master’s Thesis on resistance movements, race, and the exploitation of college athletes. His wife and two Toy Australian Sheppards keep him sane.