I didn’t expect to be writing this in 2025: we’ve just seen our first glimpse of The Witcher 4 gameplay-or, more accurately, a tantalizing tech demo of what CD Projekt Red is cooking up in Unreal Engine 5. Given how the series reinvented narrative RPGs and how CDPR’s reputation has swung from Witcher 3 heights to Cyberpunk’s rough launch and epic comeback, this early look deserves more than just a hype cycle repeat. Let’s dig into what actually matters for gamers in this reveal, and what I’m watching out for as CDPR gears up for its boldest Witcher yet.
Let’s be clear: what you saw at the State of Unreal 2025 event isn’t The Witcher 4 proper. CD Projekt Red themselves told VGC this is “not The Witcher 4 itself,” but a tech demo showing off the systems and visuals that will underpin the game. And yet—for anyone who’s followed CDPR’s evolution, especially the wild ride from Witcher 3’s masterful world-building to Cyberpunk’s infamously rough debut—this demo is loaded with signals about where the next flagship RPG is heading.
The immediate headline? Ciri is the playable character in this demo, galloping through the Kovir region on a new horse, Kelpie. On a base PS5, the footage ran at a smooth 60 fps with full ray tracing, which is already a technical feat if it holds up outside a controlled slice. More impressive: townsfolk actually feel alive, with organic interactions and emergent behaviors that put even The Witcher 3’s bustling Novigrad to shame. Smart Objects, Nanite Foliage, and other UE5 buzzwords came up, but the real test will be how these features serve gameplay—not just screenshot moments.
Why does this matter? CDPR’s last few years have been defined by ambition that sometimes outpaces reality. The company’s shift to Unreal Engine 5 (after a decade on their own REDengine) is a huge bet. We all remember the pre-release Cyberpunk demos—gorgeous, but wildly disconnected from day-one performance on most platforms. So even as a tech demo, Witcher 4’s showing is a line in the sand: CDPR wants to reclaim its open-world crown, but they need to earn back trust with actual, working systems, not just pretty trailers.
The fact that CDPR is working directly with Epic Games suggests they’re serious about learning from past mistakes and leveraging UE5’s strengths, especially around streaming and open-world performance. I’m also intrigued by the focus on Ciri. Fans have wanted to play as her for years, and Kovir is a setting we haven’t seen fully realized in the games. There’s clear intent to shake up the formula—and with Geralt’s story wrapped, this could be the fresh start the series needs.
Still, it’s hard not to feel a little skeptical. Demos are controlled, curated, and often far from the reality of a sprawling RPG at launch. CDPR says they’re proud of the tech, but as a gamer who got burned by Cyberpunk’s day-one woes, I want to know: will these dynamic NPCs hold up when the world is packed with quests? Will the fancy ray tracing tank performance when players go off the critical path? And will this shift to Unreal finally solve the technical headaches that plagued their previous engines?
From a player’s perspective, though, this is easily the most exciting Witcher news in years. Even if it’s years out, getting an early look at the tech demo means fans can finally imagine a Witcher world that feels truly alive. If CDPR delivers on even half of what they teased—emergent NPCs, next-gen visuals, and a playable Ciri in a new land—the wait for Witcher 4 just got a lot harder. But let’s temper expectations: we’ve seen tech demos before, and the real game is always messier.
For now, keep your silver swords sharp—and your skepticism sharper. The Witcher 4 is coming, with all eyes on CD Projekt Red to prove they’ve learned, evolved, and can deliver an RPG worthy of the legacy.
Curious to see the tech demo for yourself? Here’s the State of Unreal 2025 segment featuring The Witcher 4’s first public look:
Source: CD Projekt Red via GamesPress