CD Projekt Red says The Witcher 4 is in full production—but don’t expect it in 2026
The studio says production is “in full swing,” but its ambitious six-year trilogy plan remains a major challenge.
Fans eagerly awaiting the next chapter in The Witcher saga received some good and bad news regarding the release timeline, and about the series’ long-term future. During a recent investor call, CD Projekt Red confirmed that The Witcher 4 is currently in the full-scale production phase but will not launch in 2026. While the studio stopped short of providing a specific release date, this confirmation pushes the potential arrival of the game to 2027 at the earliest.
Despite the wait, the development momentum is undeniable. According to the company’s latest financial report, the team dedicated to The Witcher 4 has grown to 447 developers. This represents the vast majority of the studio’s workforce, signaling that the project is the absolute priority. Joint CEO Michał Nowakowski emphasized that while they are not ready to commit to a date, production is “in full swing.”
Harnessing the power of Unreal Engine 5
One of the most significant changes for this new trilogy is the technical foundation. For the first time in decades, CD Projekt Red is moving away from its proprietary technology to build the game on Unreal Engine 5. The studio has been adapting to this engine for nearly four years, working closely with Epic Games to tailor the tools for a massive open-world experience.
Nowakowski explained that the heavy lifting being done now to adapt UE5 will pay off for future installments. The studio reaffirmed its ambitious plan to release the entire new trilogy within a six-year period following the launch of The Witcher 4. “I think you could have seen some of that with your own eyes with our tech demo reveal at Unreal Fest a couple of months ago, and we’re very happy with the results of that as well – we’ve already said that, but I’m always happy to say it again – and we’re happy with how the engine is evolving through the Epic team’s efforts, and how we are learning how to make it work within a huge open-world game, as TW4 is meant to be.”
To ensure the new saga begins on the strongest possible footing, CD Projekt Red is optimizing its personnel. Developers from Fool’s Theory, the studio handling The Witcher 1 remake, have been reshuffled to assist with The Witcher 4. Because both projects share the Unreal Engine 5 architecture, this collaboration allows the teams to share technical knowledge and manpower effectively.
Could CD Projekt really achieve its ambitious plan to release the Ciri focused trilogy in six years? While history reminds us of the delays faced by The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, the current strategy suggests a more calculated approach.
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