New York: After years of speculation, The Witcher 4 is officially in development, and fans just got a major tease. A brand-new Unreal Engine 5 tech demo, shown during the State of Unreal 2025 showcase, revealed just how massive, dynamic, and visually jaw-dropping the next Witcher game could be — even on base PlayStation 5 hardware.
The project, which CD Projekt Red has code-named “Polaris,” is the start of a new Witcher saga. And though we still don’t have a locked-in release date, what we’ve seen so far paints a picture of a next-gen RPG experience built for scale, depth, and raw beauty.
The Demo Everyone’s Talking About
The demo wasn’t technically a trailer for The Witcher 4, but it used CDPR-style assets to show off large-scale open-world streaming at 60 fps on PS5, complete with global illumination, ray tracing, and no loading screens.
This marks a huge leap from REDengine (used in Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077), and aligns with CDPR’s previously confirmed plan to build future RPGs entirely in Unreal Engine 5.
IGN and WCCFTech have both praised the demo for its realism — noting that even dense forests, dynamic skies, and magical effects ran flawlessly on current-gen hardware.
Witcher 4 Release Date: What We Know
CDPR hasn’t confirmed an exact release date yet, but based on investor calls and studio timelines:
- Development began in 2022
- Pre-production wrapped in mid-2023
- Full production is ongoing with a tentative release window of late 2026 or early 2027
CDPR has also stated that The Witcher 4 will not be rushed, especially after learning from Cyberpunk’s launch.
New Characters, New Saga – But Still The Witcher
While Geralt’s arc is widely considered finished, the developers have hinted that The Witcher 4 will:
- Introduce a new playable protagonist
- Expand the Continent’s lore with new kingdoms
- Likely feature returning factions like the Wild Hunt, Scoia’tael, and mages
And yes — there will be monsters, contracts, swordplay, and morally grey dialogue trees. Just more of it, with better AI and immersive combat.
Unreal Engine 5 Changes Everything
Switching from REDengine to Unreal 5 wasn’t just a tech upgrade — it was a philosophical one. The new engine:
- Allows massive open-world maps with no loading transitions
- Uses Nanite and Lumen for lighting and texture realism
- Enables modular terrain, meaning faster expansions and richer updates
If Witcher 3 was a gold standard, Witcher 4 is aiming for platinum.
What Fans Can Expect Next
- A full reveal trailer may drop in late 2025, around The Game Awards
- Playable demos are unlikely before 2026
Next-gen only: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. No PS4/Xbox One support expected
Multiplayer or co-op? No confirmation yet, but rumors persist of side modes.
