CD Projekt Red is working on a new Witcher game using Unreal Engine 5

[Shawn Knight]

The big picture: CD Projekt Red is working on a new entry in the popular Witcher franchise. Perhaps more importantly, CDPR revealed the game - and future titles - will be built using Epic's Unreal Engine 5. With any luck, this will help expedite the development process as previous titles created using CDPR's proprietary engine have been slow in the making.

The confirmation came on day one of the Game Developers Conference. The Polish video game company said the new title would be developed using Unreal Engine 5 rather than its in-house engine, sparking a multi-year strategic partnership with Epic Games.

CD Projekt Red said the deal with Epic not only covers licensing, but technical development of UE5. In other words, it sounds like CD Projekt Red is going to help Epic develop Unreal Engine 5 for use in open-world experiences.

The last game in the series, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, launched in 2015.

Worth noting is the fact that CDPR won't make the new Witcher game exclusive to one storefront. What's more, they are still using the RedEngine for the development of the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 expansion.

CDPR said it had no further details to share regarding the new game.

Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney said they are deeply honored to partner with CDPR to push the limits of interactive storytelling and gameplay. "This effort will benefit the developer community for years to come," he added.

Image credit Kacper Pempel, Reuters

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/93867-cd-projekt-red-working-new-witcher-game-using.html

 

[terzaerian]

Well they have a hard row to hoe after Cyberpunk.

Timmy Sweeney chirping up also gives me misgivings of a timed "Epic exclusive deal" to be announced at a later date, irregardless of their current promises.

 

[m4a4]

Well they have a hard row to hoe after Cyberpunk.

Timmy Sweeney chirping up also gives me misgivings of a timed "Epic exclusive deal" to be announced at a later date, irregardless of their current promises.

They have GOG, why would they make a deal like that with a competing storefront?

 

[terzaerian]

They have GOG, why would they make a deal like that with a competing storefront?

Money, Epic has baskets of it from China. GoG isn't a juggernaught like Steam and Sweeney could point out that he could give them a sweetheart deal on a timed exclusive that would eclipse even their potential earnings on GoG. CDPR is in a vulnerable position right now and might just be dumb enough to agree to it. Anything is possible behind closed doors and promises over Twitter are worthless.

Everything that was an Epic exclusive in 2019 wasn't, until it was.

 

[Dimitriid]

So they haven't released a SINGLE DLC for 2077 or include like 70% of the features they promised or implied and they're already on to a new scam?

This guys need to be forced to shut down what they're doing here it's criminal.

 

[winjer]

They have GOG, why would they make a deal like that with a competing storefront?

Usually, those exclusivity deals just exclude Steam.
For example, right now there is a deal with Epic and Ubisoft that just excludes Steam.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

If this prevents another 2077-style launch, I am all for it.

 

[emmzo]

The Witcher story is over, they even said they will not release another game, but now this? I've recently finished reading the books and it's definitely nothing left there for another game. I suppose they can milk it and bloat stuff up, prequel, sequel or some other sh!t, but without a powerful story, this will be an instant fail.

 

[m4a4]

Money, Epic has baskets of it from China. GoG isn't a juggernaught like Steam and Sweeney could point out that he could give them a sweetheart deal on a timed exclusive that would eclipse even their potential earnings on GoG. CDPR is in a vulnerable position right now and might just be dumb enough to agree to it. Anything is possible behind closed doors and promises over Twitter are worthless.

Everything that was an Epic exclusive in 2019 wasn't, until it was.

W3 sold pretty well on all platforms (GOG giving them the most revenue per sale).
Sure, Cyberpunk hurt their image a little, but as long as they show they can deliver another good Witcher game (which, I bet they won't be dealing with the old-gen consoles this time around lol), they needn't worry about the old fans.

Usually, those exclusivity deals just exclude Steam.
For example, right now there is a deal with Epic and Ubisoft that just excludes Steam.

If there are such deals, I haven't noticed. Though I just don't do timed exclusives on PC.

 

[kiwigraeme]

So they haven't released a SINGLE DLC for 2077 or include like 70% of the features they promised or implied and they're already on to a new scam?

This guys need to be forced to shut down what they're doing here it's criminal.

Had a look for you - apparently saying some more patches coming - maybe some free DLC in next 2 or 3 months - then a big maybe paid one end of year - more like 2023

Haven't played it yet - got it on sale a couple of weeks ago .
I get you are angry - but it's not abandonware - ie patches still coming .
Having some future projects is not indicative of a scam.
Now Kickstarter - there are companies skirting the rules - say 9 undelivered KS and starting new ones - Ignoring that star ship one that could fund small countries ,

I think you are in the computer industry ? so do you release a DLC on a shaky framework - or do you fix the framework properly ?

I suppose game development is a known thing - but trying to hit all platforms and that .

But then I see Business/ Government hundred million dollar developments fall over , fail , blow out etc . Some of them - seem easy to an ignoramus like me - just a Database program ( have existed for eons ) - with a front end , back end and Display end - how hard could it be - stuff is more agnostic now to hardware etc - I imagine it must be the security and checks and balances that must gobble up those 100s of million dollars .
Here I'm thinking there must just be a couple of universal commercial engines for this part of the business ( ie as oppose to control software )

 

[Aaron Fox]

So they haven't released a SINGLE DLC for 2077 or include like 70% of the features they promised or implied and they're already on to a new scam?

This guys need to be forced to shut down what they're doing here it's criminal.

I was reading about this elsewhere and was struck by how, despite pages of comments, no one brought up that particular issue. It was the first thing that I thought of: 'At least finish what you've promised before moving along to the next set of promises.'

It's as if people are stuck in the conditional future rather than living with the present and near past.

 

[Aaron Fox]

The Witcher story is over, they even said they will not release another game, but now this? I've recently finished reading the books and it's definitely nothing left there for another game. I suppose they can milk it and bloat stuff up, prequel, sequel or some other sh!t, but without a powerful story, this will be an instant fail.

There are many franchises that have done very well commercially without good writing. The Bell Curve is real.

Also gaming, particularly 'AAA' content, is quite narrow in terms of the scope of its writing, thematically and such. So, even if there examples of good writing (for some tastes) it may not appeal to some others.

 

[Dimitriid]

I was reading about this elsewhere and was struck by how, despite pages of comments, no one brought up that particular issue. It was the first thing that I thought of: 'At least finish what you've promised before moving along to the next set of promises.'

It's as if people are stuck in the conditional future rather than living with the present and near past.

Where was this? Hate to be extra cynical but if there's anyone from CDPR moderating they might have just gotten rid of all of those comments intentionally: I find it hard to believe people would just forget about one of the most infamously bad releases ever in videogame history: it was so bad that it made Sony adjust their no refunds policy for the first time ever.

So I suspect foul play is at hand, but again nothing would surprise me at this point up to and including CDPR fans being objectively blind and not even mentioning 2077.

 

[Aaron Fox]

People referred to Cyberpunk as a debacle and such but the key was that no one seemed to think the company had any responsibility going forward to offer anything further to Cyberpunk owners. Instead, it was all obsessing over the details of Witcher stuff and comments about engines.

I think there is a general flaw in the mindset of gaming+tech enthusiasts that makes them too attuned to the corporate planned obsolescence + vapourware hype. Indoctrination, temperament compatibility that results in them being drawn to and staying with the niche, or a combination of both? My vote is mainly with indoctrination.

For instance, in many paradigms, a company dropping support for a relevant product after just 4 years would be considered an outrage — if that lack of support would make the product partially broken. However... when it comes to tech enthusiasts if something is six months old it's suddenly too old to be concerned with. That's where things are leading. The span of product relevance continues to shrink; the apologists seem to have no lines to cross.

If a car is 5 or 6 years old and it can't be used on the road because the company 'deprecated' it that would be an outrage. In gaming-oriented tech it's apparently just fine. Even 4 years is fine as long as there are ridiculous rationalizations — like 'It doesn't matter if those buyers are mistreated because there aren't so many of them'.

The site in question is very biased in terms of what content is favored and what is censored but I'm not going to name it. People will have to figure it out for themselves. I rarely read the comments because it's not a happy place for a person capable of independent thought.

 

[m4a4]

I was reading about this elsewhere and was struck by how, despite pages of comments, no one brought up that particular issue. It was the first thing that I thought of: 'At least finish what you've promised before moving along to the next set of promises.'

It's as if people are stuck in the conditional future rather than living with the present and near past.

...Yeah, because it seems like everyone else has a basic understand of game development lol

Devs can have more than 1 team and work on more than one thing at a time (surprise!). Last I heard they still have a team also working on C2077.....

 

[Irata]

CDPR teams with Epic to advance Unreal Engine 5

This sounds like a threat rather than a promising scenario.

 

[Burty117]

one of the most infamously bad releases ever in videogame history...

Have to stop you there chief, Battlefield 2042 is the worst release in video game history.
Cyberpunk may have been terrible on old gen consoles but at least the game was mostly something everyone expected.

Battlefield 2042 on the other hand is a hot pile of garbage.
Metacritic Score: 68
User score: 2.1

Cyberpunk 2077
Metacritic Score: 86
User score: 7.0

Everyone keeps sh*tting on Cyberpunk but the truth is, multiple games have launched since Cyberpunk in a much worse state and for some reason, everyone is just focused on the one game that's been patched into a really good state.

 

[Nobina]

The Witcher 3 is a masterpiece, one of the best games ever made. I've heard it's the last game and I respect CDPR for not wanting to make another one if there's no need to make another one. Turns out that's false. This makes me believe TW4 is going to suck since it's a forced money grab. I could be wrong absolutely, but anyone with some experience can expect this to flop. It will have pretty graphics and it will get people to focus on it rather than how CP2077 was sht.

 

[emmzo]

There are many franchises that have done very well commercially without good writing. The Bell Curve is real.

Also gaming, particularly 'AAA' content, is quite narrow in terms of the scope of its writing, thematically and such. So, even if there examples of good writing (for some tastes) it may not appeal to some others.

I agree, but in the case of the Witcher, the allure of the games is mainly driven by narrative.

 

[meric]

The Witcher story is over, they even said they will not release another game, but now this? I've recently finished reading the books and it's definitely nothing left there for another game. I suppose they can milk it and bloat stuff up, prequel, sequel or some other sh!t, but without a powerful story, this will be an instant fail.

I recall they said they're done with Geralt as the protagonist, not the witcher franchise. I may be wrong but I remember so.

 

[emmzo]

I recall they said they're done with Geralt as the protagonist, not the witcher franchise. I may be wrong but I remember so.

Hmm, if that's the case, their protagonist might be Ciri, but my point stands, they should come up with some very good writing outside the books to make it work.

 

[UltraModernGuy]

Cyberpunk was actually pretty good on the pc. I had a solid playthrough, but didn't find any reason for another playthrough. It wasn't a 10/10 and it wasn't at all what I had expected. I think if it played more like a Deus Ex type game, it would have been better. Hell, you could have even modded GTA5 in a cyberpunk world and that would have been better.
That said, I'm looking forward to a new Witcher on UE5. I'm not going to hold some weird grudge against the devs for Cyberpunk expectations.

 

[passwordistaco]

Right there at the bottom of the picture:

"A New Saga Begins"

Same universe, different protagonist.

 

[Aaron Fox]

...Yeah, because it seems like everyone else has a basic understand of game development lol

Devs can have more than 1 team and work on more than one thing at a time (surprise!). Last I heard they still have a team also working on C2077.....

Fascinating.

 

[merikafyeah]

A remaster of the first game with UE5 would be nice.