CD Projekt RED Explained Why The Witcher 4 Uses Unreal Engine 5

The Witcher 4, the new installment in the CD Projekt RED saga, remains one of the most anticipated games set to be released in the coming years. One of the most significant changes is that the game will use Unreal Engine 5 instead of the studio’s proprietary engine, Red Engine. Not all fans were happy with this decision, but according to one of the studio’s executives, there was a compelling reason for it.

Recently, Michał Nowakowski, co-CEO of CD Projekt RED, appeared on the Deconstructor of Fun podcast. There, he provided a more detailed answer to why The Witcher 4 is using Unreal Engine 5. He said this is due not only to the issues Cyberpunk 2077 faced at launch but also to the company’s ambitions—since Unreal Engine 5 can deliver that scale through its technologies. You can check out Michał Nowakowski’s more detailed explanation below:

“The moment we got an early scoop of the Matrix demo that Epic made and we then asked ourselves is the UE5 ready to ship a game like we make… the answer is no not at the moment not at the entry level but if we form a relationship with Unreal and if we work on certain things which are specifically required to make games of the size and scope… it could actually work.

Our goal was not really to create technology but to tell stories. But then we realized that in order to tell the stories the way we want to tell them, we do need to have the technology. By using Unreal Engine 5 we’re not going to be responsible for creating the technology from scratch but rather creating for that technology little things that actually make a big difference.”

In one of his previous interviews, Nowakowski also assured fans that The Witcher 4 won’t look like 'just another game on Unreal Engine 5' but will truly impress with its visuals. Incidentally, the tech demo released last year, which revealed The Witcher 4’s gameplay, is proof of that, and given work on the project is ongoing, there is reason to believe the game has come to look and feel even better.

In late August, CD Projekt RED confirmed they plan to release The Witcher 4 in 2028, but the approximate release window remains unknown at this time. It was also recently revealed Dandelion will appear in the game, as confirmed by the character’s voice actor.

It’s also worth noting that a new DLC for *The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt—Songs of the Past—will release in 2027. And on September 29, an updated version of the third entry—The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt—Remastered—will be released, featuring significant graphical improvements and numerous other new features, and will be available for free to all owners of the original.