Lessons from Cyberpunk 2077, the convenience of Unreal Engine 5 and full speed ahead: CD Projekt Red spoke about its approach to developing The Witcher 4

Head of development Sebastian Kalemba and executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga in an interview with Bloomberg spoke about the approach to creating The Witcher 4 from the height of the experience of producing Cyberpunk 2077.

Image source: CD Projekt Red

Let us remember that at the release in December 2020, Cyberpunk 2077 was criticized for sloppy technical execution – the game barely worked on consoles. CD Projekt Red spent the next three years regaining the lost trust of gamers.

According to Kalemba, CD Projekt Red is grateful for this experience, as it has made the studio stronger: “We are confident in the game we are making and believe that [The Witcher 4] will be a great successor to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.”

Ideas from Cyberpunk 2077 will be developed in The Witcher 4 – players will have more opportunities to resolve conflicts and complete quests

The move to Unreal Engine 5 has made it easier to test the game (including console versions) in the early stages, and management is trying to improve communication between departments so that everyone knows what’s going on with the project.

It is still unclear when to expect the release of The Witcher 4, but Mitrega assures that development has reached cruising speed: 400 of CD Projekt Red’s 650 employees are already employed on the project, and several more specialists will join the team in 2025.

The main character of The Witcher 4 will be a matured Ciri, who has passed the Trial of Herbs and is preparing to become a full-fledged witcher.

The trailer for The Witcher 4 shown at The Game Awards 2024 became an important event not only for fans, but also for CDPR employees, who again felt popular love after restoring the reputation of Cyberpunk 2077.

«Of course, [the game trailer] was meant for all [the fans], but also for us. We were so happy to see The Witcher 4 and that the world is now at one with us,” concluded Mithreg.