CD Projekt Red Announces Brand New Witcher Game, Reveals First Image
Ryan Pearson
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CD Projekt Red announced a brand new Witcher game, claiming it will be the start of a new saga.
Source: The Witcher (TBA), CD Projekt Red
Details are scant about this new saga at this time, with only the above image of a Witcher medallion in the snow released to the public. It should be noted this doesn’t appear to be Geralt of Rivia’s Wolf School medallion, nor any of the other known Witcher schools.
As each of schools are based on an animal, the medallion here appears to be some form of canine, possibly a hound. This could suggest a brand new main character for the new saga, or at the very least a Witcher or school that will be a major element of the plot.
Source: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015), CD Projekt
Regardless, the details of the new Witcher game’s development time frame or release date were not announced at this time. What was disclosed was the game will not be using CD Projekt Red’s internal REDengine. Instead CD Projekt Red will use Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5 as part of a “multi-year strategic partnership with Epic Games.”
The “relationship” will handle not only licensing, but also development of the engine, and future versions of the Unreal Engine. CD Projekt Red developers will collaborate with Epic to “help tailor the engine for open-world experiences,” starting with the new Witcher game.
Source: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015), CD Projekt
“One of the core aspects of our internal RED 2.0 Transformation is a much stronger focus on technology,” explained CD Projekt Red CTO Paweł Zawodny “and our cooperation with Epic Games is based on this principle.”
“From the outset,” Zawodny elaborated, “we did not consider a typical licensing arrangement; both we and Epic see this as a long-term, fulfilling tech partnership. It is vital for CD PROJEKT RED to have the technical direction of our next game decided from the earliest possible phase as; in the past, we spent a lot of resources and energy to evolve and adapt REDengine with every subsequent game release.”
Source: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015), CD Projekt
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“This cooperation is so exciting, because it will elevate development predictability and efficiency, while simultaneously granting us access to cutting-edge game development tools,” Zawodny gushed. “I can’t wait for the great games we’re going to create using Unreal Engine 5!”
“Epic has been building Unreal Engine 5 to enable teams to create dynamic open worlds at an unprecedented scale and level of fidelity,” explained Epic Games’ Founder and CEO Tim Sweeney. “We are deeply honored by the opportunity to partner with CD PROJEKT RED to push the limits of interactive storytelling and gameplay together, and this effort will benefit the developer community for years to come.”
Source: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015), CD Projekt
While the announcement also clarified that the REDengine would continue to be used for the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 expansion, it seems some feared that this new Witcher game would become an Epic Games Store exclusive.
Replying to a Twitter user with exactly that fear, the official Witcher Twitter account tweeted, “We are not planning on making the game exclusive to one storefront.”
Source: witchergame, Twitter
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It should be noted several Epic Games Store titles have had temporary one year exclusivity from other PC digital game storefronts. These have included Shenmue III, Hitman 3, Chivalry 2, Control, and more.
In addition, the new Witcher game’s director has also revealed their identity. Jason Slama made the announcement via his LinkedIn profile. Slama’s prior works have included Assassin’s Creed III under Ubisoft Quebec as a general programmer, along with several mobile and handheld console games.
Slama later worked on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt as a senior UI programmer. He later became the lead programmer for Gwent, and after that the Director of Live Operations and Game Director for the title.
Source: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015), CD Projekt
What are you hoping for in the next Witcher game? Let us know on social media and in the comments below.
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