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CD Projekt Red The Witcher 4: From the studio that gave us Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, we now have yet another very highly anticipated title that has been making a buzz: The Witcher 4. CD Projekt Red, on Tuesday, June 3, showcased a glimpse of the tech demo of The Witcher 4, the single-player, open-world RPG that took the gaming community by storm when its predecessor, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, came out.

This one is expected to be set in the same universe as its predecessor. But what's interesting is the fact that CD Projekt Red has been working with Epic Games' Unreal Engine, a powerful all-in-one platform for building real-time 3D experiences, widely used not just in game development but also in fields like architecture, automotive design, film, TV, and beyond. This new tool promises to bring in next-gen graphics, making it more immersive and taking the gaming scene to the next level.

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If you are a gamer or a gaming fan, you already know the work Unreal Engine has done and some of the demo projects that it showcased a few years ago; that was definitely something futuristic. And now that Unreal Engine is being utilised to create a community favourite single-player RPG, I really can't wait to see what's in store this time. CD Projekt Red is working on The Witcher 4 with Unreal Engine to optimise and bring it to consoles and PC.

What Was The Demo All About?

CD Projekt Red recently showcased a new tech demo set in the world of The Witcher, offering fans a first look at the tools powering The Witcher 4. The demo takes place in Kovir, a previously unexplored region in the Witcher universe, and follows Ciri—the main protagonist of the upcoming game—alongside her horse, Kelpie. As the story unfolds, Ciri is seen travelling through mountainous terrain and dense forests, eventually reaching a new port town named Valdrest. One scene even shows her speaking with NPCs during a mission that involves hunting down a monster.

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While this demo stirred excitement, CD Projekt Red has clarified to Video Game Chronicles that what was shown is not actual gameplay from The Witcher 4. Rather, it's a tech showcase set in the same universe. The developers used the opportunity to spotlight how Unreal Engine 5 is helping them craft a richer open-world experience. According to them, the engine is crucial in driving “performance, visual fidelity, and shape The Witcher 4’s immersive open world.”

This isn’t CDPR’s first foray into Unreal Engine. Back in 2022, the studio revealed its collaboration with Epic Games, aimed at developing new tools and pushing open-world capabilities further using Unreal Engine 5.

The demo, which runs at 60 frames per second on the standard (non-Pro) PlayStation 5, is a strong statement of the engine’s optimisation. It highlights several of UE5’s standout features, including the new Unreal Animation Framework, Nanite Foliage rendering, MetaHuman technology, and Mass AI crowd scaling—all running smoothly without compromising performance.

Some of the most visually impressive moments include high-density forest environments brought to life with Nanite Foliage. The footage also pans into a bustling town filled with NPCs interacting in real-time—chatting, selling goods, completing chores, and even throwing drinks outside of taverns—showcasing the engine’s advanced crowd simulation.

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Speaking to The Verge, Julius Girbig, senior technical animator at CDPR, emphasised the importance of accessibility and optimisation: “We specifically wanted to go with the standard PlayStation 5 to show how much we can optimise this engine together with Epic and make it work on current gen instead of running it on some high-end hardware.”

Titles Have Used Unreal Engine 5 Before

Although the community had hoped for actual gameplay footage, this demo still offers valuable insight into how The Witcher 4 is shaping up visually and technically. With CDPR showing 60 fps performance on standard hardware, it could signal a shift for more developers to move away from custom engines and embrace Unreal Engine 5. There have been several games that employed Unreal Engine 5 in their development but were scrutinised due to failure and bugs. One good example would be S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, but CDPR's ambitious showcase gives us hope. For now this is the only official information that is out there, so stay tuned as we bring you the latest developments.