The new "The Witcher" PC remake is coming from CD Projekt Red. It will use the latest Unreal Engine 5.
The new "The Witcher" PC remake is coming from CD Projekt Red. It will use the latest Unreal Engine 5.
Hey guys/gals, It looks like the first Witcher game in the franchise will get a remake. Honestly speaking, I am not too excited when I hear about any game's remake these days, but I have never played the original Witcher 1 game. Just played Witcher 3. But anyways, a remake of the first entry in The Witcher series is currently in development, CD Projekt Red confirmed today. CD Projekt Red's Head of Studio Adam Badowski commented on The Witcher Remake announcement, saying that remaking the game that started it all for the studio feels like a big moment, possibly even bigger than starting the development of the original. The remake, which will be powered by Unreal Engine 5 as confirmed on the series' official website , is currently in development by Polish developer Fool's Theory , with CDPR providing full creative supervision. The project was previously known by the codename Canis Majoris , as outlined by CD Projekt Red earlier this month. According to the teams, the game is in a very early development stage. Here is hoping the remake of this game would be worth playing. But since the Witcher Remake is early in development, the release date window and platforms have yet to be confirmed, though obviously the game will also come out on the PC. Adam Badowski, Head of Studio, CD PROJEKT RED, said: "The Witcher is where it all started for us, for CD PROJEKT RED. It was the first game we made, ever, and it was a big moment for us then. Going back to this place and remaking the game for the next generation of gamers to experience it feels just as big, if not bigger. Collaborating with Fool's Theory on the project is just as exciting, as some of the people there have been previously involved in The Witcher games. They know the source material well, they know how much gamers have been looking forward to seeing the remake happen, and they know how to make incredible and ambitious games. And although it will take some time before we're ready to share more about and from the game, I know it'll be worth the wait." Fool's Theory CEO Jakub Rokosz added: "I am very happy that my professional paths have crossed again with fellow developers from the time of working together on The Witcher 2 and The Witcher 3. Especially when it's a remake of a project that is so close to our hearts." https://twitter.com/x/status/1585270206305386497 View: https://twitter.com/witchergame/status/1...6305386497 Official PRESS release statement as outline below. Coinciding with the 15th anniversary of the first Witcher game's release, CD PROJEKT RED has announced today that The Witcher Remake is currently in the works, and has also shared the first details regarding the project. Previously referred to by the codename "Canis Majoris" during the studio's Strategy Update earlier in October, the remake will be a modern reimagining of 2007's The Witcher — the first game in CD PROJEKT RED's acclaimed RPG trilogy. The title will be built from the ground up using Unreal Engine 5 technology, and will use the toolset CDPR is creating for the new Witcher saga. The project is currently in the early stages of development at Fool's Theory — a game development studio specializing in role-playing games. The team employs numerous veteran developers who previously worked on The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and CD PROJEKT RED is providing full creative supervision. CD Projekt is remaking The Witcher in Unreal Engine 5 | VGC (videogameschronicle.com)
I don't really care much about this right now. First off, CDPR are still working hard after the disaster with Cyberpunk 2077, so they just decided to hand the remake job to another company instead. That's not easy when you've already tried such a huge project like that before. Now they want to give it to another team using a newer engine called UE5. I heard from others that this new engine is much more likely to crash than the old one, so why take on the risk? Some people who helped with TW2 and TW3 have also worked on Fool's Theory projects, but their time there has mostly been helping with older games like Hellblade or Outriders, which are already full of bugs.
It seems like CDPR is trying to fix their reputation with a PR stunt about remakes. After CP2077 came out, I've stopped trusting their devs and don't think they will do miracles here either. Also, the Unreal Engine 5 version feels worse than the original UE4 version right now. It's still in early access and needs lots of work to run smoothly. I used to play Outriders on my PC using the Xbox Game Pass subscription so I could try it at least once. The performance was really bad back then, but the fighting and game mechanics were okay for a while. Since I didn't renew my subscription, I left the game unfinished there. But maybe I'll try playing it again later if my account is still good enough.