Epic Games and CD Projekt showcased a stunning technical demonstration of The Witcher 4 running on Unreal Engine 5.
During the State of Unreal 2025 event, Epic presented a tech demo highlighting "some of the cutting-edge technology powering the new Witcher saga." Epic clarified this was not official gameplay, but it provides a compelling preview of what the final game might deliver.
“When we launched Unreal Engine 5 three years ago, CD Projekt Red announced their partnership to bring robust open-world capabilities to the engine,” said Epic. “At State of Unreal, we revealed the progress of our collaboration.”
In the Unreal Engine 5 tech demo, Ciri explores the previously unseen region of Kovir while on a monster-hunting contract (CD Projekt confirmed Kovir will be a playable area in The Witcher 4). The demo offers an early look at several new Unreal Engine 5.6 open-world features in action. Epic stated it all runs on a base PlayStation 5 at 60 frames per second with ray tracing enabled, including faster open-world loading via the new Fast Geometry Streaming Plugin. During one market scene, CD Projekt increased the NPC count to 300 individually animated characters. The presentation concluded with a first look at Lan Exeter, the winter capital and a major port city within Kovir.
Here is the official description from Epic:
As Ciri navigates the bustling market of Valdrest, we see how UE 5.6 manages complex scenes filled with high-fidelity characters and visual effects like ML Deformer. The demo also showcases Nanite Foliage—a memory-efficient method for achieving rich, detailed vegetation, scheduled for release in Unreal Engine 5.7.
And here's a statement from CD Projekt:
This technical demo is set in Kovir, a region making its debut in the video game series with The Witcher 4. The presentation follows protagonist Ciri and her horse Kelpie as they journey through Kovir's rugged mountains and dense forests towards the lively port town of Valdrest.
While this demonstration offers a tantalizing glimpse of The Witcher 4's visual potential, the game itself remains years from release. CD Projekt has indicated a launch is not expected until 2027 at the earliest.
This rules out a release this year or next, setting 2027 as the current target. However, development timelines in the video game industry are often subject to change. Could The Witcher 4 potentially slip into 2028?
The Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5 Tech Demo Screenshots
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There was speculation that The Witcher 4 might be exclusive to next-generation consoles. However, this Unreal tech demo suggests it will be a cross-generational title, similar to Cyberpunk 2077 at its 2020 launch.
Here's what we know: The Witcher 4 is the first entry in a new trilogy set after the events of The Witcher 3. This time, Ciri takes center stage as the main protagonist instead of Geralt.
In an exclusive interview with IGN ahead of the game's announcement, executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga explained that Ciri was “the natural and logical choice.”
“From the books of the Saga onwards, the focus was always on her. She's a deeply complex and compelling character. With Geralt's story concluded, this continuation felt destined to center on Ciri. For us, she was always meant to be the protagonist.”
In January, during a wider interview about Netflix's upcoming animated film The Witcher: Sirens of The Deep, Geralt's voice actor Doug Cockle expressed support for CD Projekt's decision, even though it places Geralt in a supporting role.
“I'm genuinely excited,” he said. “I believe it's an excellent direction. Continuing the Saga with Ciri as the lead is intriguing for many reasons, particularly due to narrative developments in the books I won't spoil. I think it's very exciting and I eagerly await seeing their vision realized.”
We have extensive exclusive coverage of The Witcher 4, including a trailer analysis and an interview where CD Projekt explains its strategy to avoid a launch scenario similar to Cyberpunk 2077's troubled release.
