Highlights
- The Witcher Remake aims to improve on outdated and convoluted features of the original game, while preserving its grim atmosphere and story.
- Jakub Rokosz, CEO of Fool's Theory, wants to give The Witcher Remake the respect it deserves and complete his portfolio of The Witcher saga.
- The remake will feature a more open layout, with less reliance on loading screens, and will use modern exploration conventions. However, the release date is currently unknown.
The Witcher Remake will be taking an honest look at the original game from 2007, and will improve on the features that feel outdated, bad, and unnecessarily convoluted. When it was originally announced in October 2022, The Witcher fans were excited about getting a more modern take on the cult classic that started CD Projekt Red's rise to prominence. Though "eurojank" has its charms, and there's a lot to appreciate about The Witcher, even the Enhanced Edition started to show its technical limitations well before 2024.
While the teams at CD Projekt Red are busy developing the next entry in The Witcher franchise, as well as creating the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher Remake is led by Fool's Theory, a studio of CD Projekt Red veterans. Its CEO, Jakub Rokosz, worked on the final two games of Geralt's trilogy, and expressed regret that he never got to work on the first one. While Rokosz hopes to give The Witcher Remake the respect it deserves, it's also an opportunity for him to complete his portfolio of The Witcher saga.
The Witcher 3 Is Getting a Direct Sequel, But Not as a Video Game
Fans of The Witcher 3 will soon get a chance to experience another adventure with Geralt of Rivia in a direct sequel to the game.
The Witcher Remake Won't Shy Away From Making Bold Changes
As reported on GamesRadar via an interview with Edge, Jakub Rokosz claimed that the developers would evaluate all aspects of the original Witcher, and strongly implied that not every feature would make the cut. While it's easy to assume that the problematic "sex cards" obtained from Geralt's romantic escapades would undoubtedly end up on the cutting room floor, the timing-based combat from The Witcher is also something that fans are hoping gets modernized in the remake.
In the interview, Jakub Rokosz stated that "first and foremost, we need an honest, down-to-earth analysis of which parts are simply bad, outdated, and need to be remade." However, he also made sure to mention that their project would "highlight the parts that are great, should be retained, or are direct key pillars that can't be discarded," implying that the grim atmosphere and story of The Witcher would be preserved.
"First and foremost, we need an honest, down-to-earth analysis of which parts are simply bad, outdated, and need to be remade." - Jakub Rokosz, CEO of Fool's Theory
Much like the open world in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the remake will give the outdated zones from the original game a more open layout, one that relies less on awkward loading screens and uses modern exploration conventions. Unfortunately, fans will have to wait until after the next Witcher game releases to get their hands on The Witcher Remake, as the two titles will share the same base technology. The exact release date for either project is currently unknown.
The Witcher
Based on the fantasy novel series by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher is an action role-playing game released by CD Projekt Red in 2007. Its remake is currently in development by Fool's Theory on Unreal Engine 5.
- Franchise
- The Witcher
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- October 30, 2007
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
