On June 3, 2025, at Unreal Fest Orlando's State of Unreal keynote, CD Projekt Red and Epic Games unveiled a stunning tech demo of The Witcher 4, offering gamers an early look at the next chapter in the beloved franchise powered by Unreal Engine 5.6. This presentation marked a significant milestone in game development, showcasing cutting-edge technology and immersive world-building that promises to elevate open-world RPGs to new heights.
The tech demo, running live at 60 frames per second on a standard PlayStation 5 with ray tracing enabled, follows Ciri—the main protagonist—on a monster contract in Kovir, a region making its debut in the series. Players witness Ciri navigating rugged mountains and dense forests alongside her horse Kelpie, a sleek black stallion whose muscles flex realistically thanks to the Unreal Chaos Flesh Solver and machine-learned deformations. This level of detail adds a lifelike authenticity to the experience, making every gallop and maneuver feel natural and immersive.
CD Projekt Red’s cinematic director, Kajetan Kapuściński, played through the demo live, guiding viewers through a seamless transition from in-game cinematics to gameplay. The demo opens with a dramatic scene of a merchant’s wagon being attacked by a manticore, setting a tense tone that quickly shifts to Ciri investigating the aftermath. The narrative twist reveals the merchant’s concern over smuggled goods hidden in the cart, a classic Witcher-style intrigue that echoes the series’ tradition of morally complex storytelling.
As Ciri rides Kelpie into the bustling port town of Valdrest, the demo highlights the Unreal Engine 5.6’s new open-world features. The Fast Geometry Streaming Plugin ensures quick and smooth loading of expansive environments, while Nanite Foliage renders dense forests, grass, and shrubbery with breathtaking detail and without compromising performance. This technology, slated for full release in Unreal Engine 5.7, allows for a visually rich world that feels alive and vast.
The market scene in Valdrest is a particular highlight, where up to 300 individually animated NPCs interact dynamically with the environment and each other. Traders chat with customers, townsfolk react to a performing bear, and Ciri’s movement through the crowd triggers realistic responses, such as a passerby dropping apples after being bumped. This crowd scaling and AI behavior are powered by Epic’s Mass AI system, ensuring a fluid, lag-free experience even in densely populated areas.
CD Projekt Red’s Vice President and Game Director, Sebastian Kalemba, expressed pride in the demo, stating, “We are making this game to be the most immersive and ambitious The Witcher game ever. What we are doing together is going to bring in a new generation of open world RPGs.” He emphasized the team's dedication to crafting a world where player choices carry significant weight and character development is rich and varied.
Joint-CEO Michał Nowakowski reflected on the partnership with Epic Games, saying, “To show this early look at the work we’ve been doing using Unreal Engine running at 60 FPS on PlayStation 5 is a significant milestone and a testament of the great cooperation between our teams. But we’re far from finished. I look forward to seeing more advancements and inspiring technology as development of The Witcher 4 on Unreal Engine 5 continues.”
Epic Games’ Founder and CEO Tim Sweeney praised CD Projekt Red as “one of the industry’s best open-world game studios,” highlighting their role in pushing Unreal Engine forward. “They are the perfect partner to help us develop new world-building features that we can share with all Unreal Engine developers,” he said.
The Witcher 4 is set to be the first installment in a new trilogy, continuing the saga after The Witcher 3 but shifting focus from Geralt to Ciri, a choice executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga described as “very organic, logical.” Ciri, now a fully-fledged Witcher having survived the Trial of the Grasses, is portrayed as more agile, with enhanced magical abilities and new tools such as a chain weapon. The demo also hinted at the inclusion of Gwent and romance options, enriching the player’s engagement with the world.
While the tech demo dazzled with its visual fidelity and technical prowess, CD Projekt Red cautioned that it does not represent the final game. A studio representative clarified, “This tech demo isn’t meant to represent The Witcher 4—it’s a showcase of the tools we’re developing together with Epic Games. That means specific visuals like character models and environments may be different in the final game.”
Despite the excitement, the release date remains uncertain. CD Projekt Red has indicated The Witcher 4 will not launch before 2027, making it a long-awaited addition for fans. The game will release on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, continuing CD Projekt Red’s tradition of multi-platform AAA RPGs.
The tech demo also showcased the new Unreal Animation Framework, which powers fluid character movements even in crowded scenes, and the ML Deformer technology, which adds subtle, realistic touches to character animations, such as muscle movement. These innovations contribute to a seamless and believable game world where every detail, from the sway of a cloak to the reactions of a crowd, enhances immersion.
Adding to the depth of the world, the demo introduced Lan Exeter, a major port city in Kovir, hinting at the expansive new regions players will explore. The monster featured, Bauk, inspired by Serbian mythology, promises challenging and atmospheric encounters, described by Kalemba as a “tricky, tricky b*****d” that plays with players’ fears.
Moreover, CD Projekt Red confirmed ongoing development of other Witcher projects, including a full remake of the original 2007 game and a multiplayer-focused title codenamed Sirius. Yet, the studio remains firmly committed to AAA role-playing games, with co-founder Marcin Iwinski emphasizing, “We have to focus on what we are good at and really put 100 percent into it.”
The Witcher 4 tech demo has reignited excitement among fans and industry watchers alike, demonstrating how technological innovation and narrative ambition can converge to create a new benchmark for open-world RPGs. As the development progresses, the gaming community eagerly awaits further updates, hopeful that The Witcher 4 will live up to its promise of being the most immersive and ambitious entry in the series yet.
