Rewritten: Witcher 4 moves to Unreal Engine 5 for stability and open-world focus

The CD Projekt Red studio behind The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has announced a transition to a new engine for the upcoming The Witcher 4. The decision to adopt Unreal Engine 5 marks a significant shift away from the studio’s own REDengine, which powered The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt RED explained that the choice to switch engines was driven by the stability and reliability offered by Unreal Engine 5, with developers noting a level of robustness that would minimize unexpected crashes or engine-related interruptions across many parts of the game. By opting for a platform that emphasizes consistency under heavy workloads, the team aims to reduce the risk of the game breaking down during development and gameplay, a risk they have observed in past projects when moving through multiple iterations and expansive content. Beyond stability, the studio highlighted Unreal Engine 5’s strong emphasis on open-world design as a decisive factor. The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 both featured sprawling, richly detailed worlds, and CD Projekt RED has hinted that The Witcher 4 will continue this legacy with a large, interconnected open world. The focus on open-world capability aligns with their vision for delivering a vast, explorable environment that responds fluidly to player choices and emergent gameplay scenarios. The move to a new engine is presented as a strategic step to support such expansive environments, enabling developers to craft vast landscapes, dynamic weather systems, and scalable simulations that can adapt to evolving storytelling needs. The announcement arrives with an acknowledgement that Unreal Engine 5 brings improvements in lighting, asset streaming, and overall world-building capabilities that could enhance the studio’s ability to create highly immersive experiences. This shift also reflects a broader industry trend toward engines that support more ambitious, non-linear narratives and larger play spaces. While the public timeline remains unsettled, the team has emphasized a desire to avoid past missteps by prioritizing engine resilience and long-term stability as The Witcher 4 progresses through development. There is no confirmed release date, and it remains unclear whether beloved characters from The Witcher 3, such as Geralt, Ciri, or Yennefer, will appear in the new adventure. The studio continues to share updates as development advances, inviting fans to anticipate a new era for the franchise that leverages modern technology to deliver a fresh yet familiar Witcher experience.