CD Projekt Red announced yesterday that the next game in The Witcher series is currently in development. The developer is calling it the beginning of a new saga for the Witcher franchise, and it also shared a teaser image to go along with this announcement.Unlike The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, this new game will run on Unreal Engine 5 instead of REDengine. CD Projekt Red signed a multi-year deal with Epic Games that covers licensing and technical development of Unreal Engine 5 and its future iterations. However, the developer will continue to use REDengine for the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 expansion. There is no timeline or release window for the next Witcher title, but fans now have more information on the game’s project lead.Jason Slama confirmed on Twitter that he would be leading the development of this Witcher saga. He is perhaps best known as the game director of Gwent, a card game based on the mini-game featured in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Jason confirms that he will serve as game director on the AAA Witcher game and encourages developers to join CD Projekt Red with options for remote work.
In addition to congratulating Jason, many users are replying with things they would like to see in the game, including changes to the UI and introduction of new open-world elements. Others are also asking about the work culture at CD Projekt Red, as the developer became infamous for its policies on crunch. In a separate Tweet, Jason did imply that the new Witcher project will not have crunch.
Some fans are worried that this game was announced too early, and many would like to avoid a situation similar to Cyberpunk 2077’s launch. Perhaps the switch to Unreal Engine 5 will facilitate easier console ports. CD Projekt Red will have to regain lost trust, as the gaming audience remains cautiously optimistic about this release. Still, it’s safe to expect that the hype for a new Witcher game will be in full force whenever CD Projekt Red reveals gameplay footage.
Despite the controversies surrounding CD Projekt Red, The Witcher 3 remains one of the most beloved games of the previous generation. Many consider it the pinnacle of story-driven open-world RPGs, and expectations will probably be sky-high for this next entry. Cyberpunk 2077 is also enjoying renewed interest, primarily due to update 1.5 being released alongside the launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions.
A new Witcher game is in development.