Witcher Remake Paused Until Witcher 4 Tech Arrives

Remember when The Witcher Remake was announced back in 2022? It felt like a dream come true for fans of the original. But now, it looks like we'll be waiting a bit longer. CD Projekt has just confirmed that the remake is on the back burner while they focus on other projects and wait for some tech from The Witcher 4.

In a recent interview, joint-CEO Michał Nowakowski explained that the collaboration with Fool's Theory (the studio behind the remake) hit a snag. "We started a collaboration with Fool's Theory. They were supposed to work on The Witcher 1 [remake], but we realized that needed a bit more time because of certain technology dependencies with The Witcher 4," he said. In other words, the remake is waiting for some of the shiny new tools that The Witcher 4 will introduce.

This isn't entirely surprising, as CD Projekt is making a big shift from their proprietary RED Engine to Unreal Engine. The Witcher 4 is going to set the standard for what a Witcher game looks like in Unreal Engine, and the remake seems to have gotten caught in that transition. It's like trying to bake a cake before you've even figured out the recipe for the flour.

So, what's Fool's Theory up to in the meantime? They're now the primary developer on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's upcoming expansion, "Songs of the Past," which was revealed at Gamescom. That expansion is slated for a 2027 release, and with The Witcher 4 expected in 2028, it looks like the remake might not see the light of day until after that.

Nowakowski has been pretty consistent about this. In earlier earnings calls, he mentioned that "work is progressing" on the remake, but more recently, he's talked about how the development has been integrated with The Witcher 4's. "Due to production process dependencies - among others related to assets and technology - we have decided to temporarily integrate its development with ongoing work on The Witcher 4," he explained. He also noted that a small part of Fool's Theory's team is currently supporting The Witcher 4, while the majority is on the expansion.

So, what does this mean for fans? Well, we're not getting The Witcher Remake anytime soon. But it's not cancelled - it's just waiting in the wings. The good news is that CD Projekt is clearly putting a lot of thought into making sure the remake lives up to expectations, and that means using the best tools available. And hey, we've got plenty of other Witcher content to keep us busy in the meantime.

What do you think? Are you okay with waiting for the remake if it means it'll be even better? Let us know in the comments!