At the State of Unreal 2025, held on Tuesday, June 3, in Orlando, United States, CD Projekt Red revealed exciting updates about The Witcher 4, marking the franchise’s first adventure centered on Ciri as the protagonist. The event, part of the Unreal Fest, featured a cinematic trailer and a gameplay demo running at 60 frames per second on a standard PlayStation 5, utilizing ray tracing. The presentation, streamed live via YouTube and Twitch, showcased the power of Unreal Engine 5.6, employed by the Polish developer to craft detailed landscapes and an immersive open world. The shift to Epic Games’ engine, moving away from the previous REDengine, reflects a pursuit of cutting-edge graphics and development stability. A release date has not yet been announced, but the technical preview already fuels anticipation among fans of the saga.
CD Projekt Red, renowned for The Witcher trilogy and Cyberpunk 2077, brought two developers to the stage to detail the project’s technical advances. The initial trailer displayed an intense scene, with a monster attacking a wagon, scattering coins and blood across the setting. The live demo, meanwhile, showed Ciri exploring a village, interacting with the environment, and tackling challenges that promise to refresh the franchise’s experience.
- Nanite technology creates realistic landscapes with dynamic trees and foliage.
- Ray tracing delivers lifelike shadows and real-time lighting.
- Ciri rides Kelpie, her mount, with detailed muscular movements.
The presentation, starting at 9:30 AM Eastern Time, was also broadcast globally, allowing fans worldwide to follow the reveals.
Technical advances take center stage
The use of Unreal Engine 5.6 stood out as a key focus of The Witcher 4 showcase at State of Unreal. Two CD Projekt Red developers explained how Epic Games’ engine enabled the creation of a more vivid and detailed open world. Nanite technology, for instance, was used to render trees, bushes, and vegetation that react to wind and sunlight, producing striking landscapes with minimal performance cost. Additionally, ray tracing brought realistic shadows and dynamic lighting, elevating visual quality to new heights. The demo, run on a standard PS5, achieved 60 frames per second, demonstrating optimization for both advanced graphics and smooth gameplay.
CD Projekt Red also emphasized the chaos mechanics of Unreal Engine 5.6, which simulate realistic movements, such as the muscles of Kelpie, Ciri’s mount. The horse, accompanying the protagonist on her journey, features fluid and detailed animations, enhancing immersion in the game’s universe. The density of NPCs in areas like village markets was another highlight, with merchants and residents interacting naturally, bringing the environment to life.
Ciri steps into the spotlight
For the first time in the franchise, The Witcher 4 places Ciri, Geralt of Rivia’s protégé, as the protagonist. The gameplay demo showed the character arriving on horseback to investigate a wagon attack, displaying her skills as a monster hunter. Now a full-fledged witcher, Ciri wields enhanced magic and tools like chains to confront enemies. The cinematic trailer featured a dramatic scene, with Ciri attempting to save a woman from a sacrificial ritual, only to find the victim did not survive.
- Ciri showcases greater agility in combat and exploration.
- New magic expands the character’s tactical options.
- Tools like chains introduce fresh gameplay possibilities.
- The narrative focuses on Ciri’s journey in a hostile world.
Choosing Ciri as the lead marks a significant shift from previous games, which centered on Geralt. CD Projekt Red stressed that player decisions will shape the story, offering multiple paths for the character’s development.
Partnership with Epic Games
The collaboration between CD Projekt Red and Epic Games was a highlight of State of Unreal 2025. The partnership, established years ago, allowed the Polish developer to adopt Unreal Engine for future projects, including The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2. During the presentation, developers explained that the engine provides advanced tools for creating detailed worlds and dynamic narratives. The live stream also served as a showcase for other Unreal Engine features, demonstrated through prototypes and technical tests of the game.
The switch to Unreal Engine reflects a quest for stability and innovation. Previously, CD Projekt Red relied on the REDengine, but faced challenges, particularly during Cyberpunk 2077’s development. Adopting Epic Games’ technology allows the team to focus on creative aspects, such as immersive settings and crowd systems that make villages and cities more realistic.
Open world comes alive
One of the most striking moments of the demo was the showcase of The Witcher 4’s open world. Ciri explores vast landscapes, with forests, fields, and villages that react dynamically to the environment. Unreal Engine 5.6 enables elements like vegetation and lighting to adjust in real time, creating a sense of immersion. In a village market, for example, merchants chat with customers, while events like a circus arrival increase NPC density, adding vibrancy to the scene.
Ciri’s mount, Kelpie, also shines. The horse’s movements, simulated with precision, show realistic muscles and reactions, thanks to the engine’s chaos mechanics. CD Projekt Red emphasized that the game is designed for freedom of exploration, with new regions of the Continent introduced to players.
New regions and monsters
The Witcher 4 will take players to uncharted areas of the Continent, the fictional universe created by Andrzej Sapkowski. The demo revealed an isolated northern village, the setting for side quests that complement the main narrative. New creatures were also a focus, with the trailer showing a monster attacking a wagon in a tense scene. CD Projekt Red promised a variety of enemies, each requiring specific strategies to defeat.
- New regions expand The Witcher’s universe.
- Unique monsters challenge Ciri’s skills.
- Side quests enrich the game’s narrative.
- Environments react dynamically to player actions.
- Detailed settings elevate the visual experience.
Geralt’s absence as the protagonist does not mean his complete exclusion. The developer has indicated that the white-haired witcher will still appear, though the focus remains on Ciri and her journey.
Technical details impress
The Witcher 4 demo on the PS5 drew attention for its visual quality and smoothness. Running at 60 frames per second with ray tracing, the game blends next-gen graphics with optimized performance. Dynamic lighting, adjusted by the sun’s position, creates realistic shadows that shift throughout the day. Nanite technology, meanwhile, renders complex scenes like forests and villages without compromising performance.
Developers noted that Unreal Engine 5.6 was tailored for consoles, ensuring a standard PS5 delivers a stunning visual experience. NPC density, with crowds reacting to events and interacting with each other, was also showcased, highlighting the engine’s potential for lively environments.
Narrative shaped by choices
Player decisions will carry significant weight in The Witcher 4. During the presentation, game director Sebastian Kalemba explained that choices will influence the story and Ciri’s development. Multiple narrative paths allow players to customize the protagonist’s journey, upholding the franchise’s tradition of complex dilemmas. In one trailer scene, Ciri tries to save a woman from a sacrifice, but the tragic outcome suggests not all actions will yield positive results.
- Choices directly shape the game’s narrative.
- Ciri can be developed in multiple ways.
- Moral dilemmas challenge player decisions.
- Side quests offer story branching options.
CD Projekt Red also confirmed that Gwent, the card game popularized in The Witcher 3, will return, integrated into the game world. Additionally, romance elements were mentioned, promising deeper character interactions.
Full-scale production underway
CD Projekt Red announced that The Witcher 4, internally known as Project Polaris, entered full-scale production weeks ago. Game director Sebastian Kalemba and producer Piotr Nielubowicz highlighted progress, with the team deep in the project’s most intensive phase. Most of the company’s developers are dedicated to the title, though other groups work on projects like Cyberpunk 2 and a Witcher spin-off.
Revealed initially in 2022, the game is part of a planned trilogy. Story and platform details remain scarce, but the State of Unreal 2025 demo reinforces CD Projekt Red’s commitment to delivering an ambitious, immersive experience.
Event showcases Unreal Engine innovations
State of Unreal 2025, held during Unreal Fest, served as a platform to display Unreal Engine 5.6’s capabilities. Beyond The Witcher 4, other projects and new tools were presented, showing how the engine accelerates modern game development. CD Projekt Red used the opportunity to reveal prototypes and technical tests, highlighting crowd systems, dynamic lighting, and advanced animations.
The free online stream attracted fans and developers interested in Epic Games’ innovations. The partnership with CD Projekt Red demonstrates how Unreal Engine is applied to large-scale projects, with detailed worlds and complex narratives.
Fan excitement builds
The Witcher 4’s presentation at State of Unreal sparked widespread excitement among fans. The cinematic trailer and gameplay demo were widely shared, with screenshots showcasing Ciri, Kelpie, and detailed settings. CD Projekt Red released four demo images, promising to make the full presentation available later. The lack of a release date hasn’t dampened enthusiasm, with players eager for more details on the new saga.
- Trailer and gameplay impress with visual quality.
- Fans share screenshots across social platforms.
- CD Projekt Red promises more updates soon.
- Excitement grows for The Witcher’s new trilogy.
- Community awaits news on story and gameplay.
The technical demo, though subject to change, offers a promising glimpse of what’s to come, with Unreal Engine 5.6 as the foundation.
