Highlights
- CD Projekt Red revealed that nearly half of its developers are now working on The Witcher 4, suggesting the project is ramping up development.
- Code-named Project Polaris, the upcoming sequel will be powered by Unreal Engine 5, and isn't expected to have a number in its title.
- CDPR previously suggested that The Witcher 4 could release as early as late 2025. The game will mark the start of a new trilogy that's planned to hit the market over a six-year period.
CD Projekt Red offered a new status update on The Witcher 4, revealing that nearly half of its developers are now working on the much-anticipated sequel. The company originally confirmed that the new Witcher game is in development back in March 2022.
Although CDPR has shared precious little info about the project ever since, what the studio did say is that the fourth entry in its RPG series will be powered by Unreal Engine 5, much like the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 sequel. The company also revealed that The Witcher 4 is code-named Project Polaris and won't actually have a number in its official title.
CDPR Reveals How The Witcher 4 Development Will Differ From Cyberpunk 2077
A senior CD Projekt Red official highlights one important aspect in which The Witcher 4 development will differ from that of Cyberpunk 2077.
Some 20 months following its initial confirmation, Project Polaris has now become CDPR's main development focus. According to the company's consolidated financial report for the third quarter of its fiscal year 2023, almost half of its staffers have been working on The Witcher 4 as of October 31.
CDPR's Ongoing Projects as of Late 2023
Back when CDPR laid off around 100 employees in July, it described those cost-saving measures as affecting roughly 9% of its employees, which would place its overall headcount at about 1,000 following the cuts. Publicly available LinkedIn data indicates that its global workforce grew in the meantime, placing it at around 1,200 people as of late November. Based on those two data points, it would appear that around 400 people are currently working on The Witcher 4.
The Witcher 4 Is Still Years Away From Release
CDPR's latest financials also revealed that roughly one-third of the company's workforce is still supporting Cyberpunk 2077. However, that entire team is now marked as being "in transfer," with many of them being expected to join Project Polaris. While the fourth entry in the critically acclaimed RPG franchise is far from the only new game that CDPR is currently working on, this status update is a strong indication that The Witcher 4 will be the first of those titles to hit the market. The company historically took at least three years to go from active production to release, although AAA development cycles have gotten longer in recent times.
Nevertheless, one 2022 update from CDPR suggested The Witcher 4 could still hit the market as early as late 2025. The fact that hundreds of developers are now confirmed to be working on the project can ostensibly only increase its chances of hitting that release window. The game itself was previously described as the start of the second Witcher trilogy that CDPR aims to release over a six-year period. The company is also currently working on a new original IP, the remake of the 2007 The Witcher, and a multiplayer game set in The Witcher universe, among other projects.
The Witcher
The Witcher is a 3D action RPG series developed by CD Projekt Red featuring the exploits of Geralt of Rivia. Steeped in fantasy, The Witcher series is based on the books by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski.
