The Witcher is Being Remade in Unreal Engine 5

With a post to Twitter, CD Projekt Red has announced that the very first Witcher game is getting a full remake. This remake is being built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5, so players can expect brand-new character models, high-resolution graphics, and advanced lighting, along with all of the combat and gameplay enhancements introduced with The Witcher 3. As it’s being built alongside the upcoming The Witcher 4, and with the same toolkit, it’s safe to assume any new features CDPR are planning for that game may also cross over to this remake.

CDPR recently revealed their plans for the future – including a brand-new Witcher trilogy and a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 – and one of their announcements was a mysterious new title in the Witcher franchise, codenamed Project Canis Majoris. As it turns out, this project is indeed the Witcher 1 remake.

This remake is being developed with the help of Polish studio Fool’s Theory. This studio has previously supported the development of games such as Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3. With two RPG behemoths under their belt, fans shouldn’t worry about their ability to take the original Witcher to new heights. Here’s hoping they use their expertise to expand the game’s RPG mechanics and further flesh out the world with new quests and characters.

But fans should not expect to see anything anytime soon. CD Projekt Red has adamantly stated that this title is still in the early stages of development and it will be some time before they are ready to share any real details and updates about the game. They have urged fans to be patient.

We’re thrilled to reveal that, together with @Fools_Theory, we’re working on remaking The Witcher using Unreal Engine 5 (codename: Canis Majoris)!

We want to do this right, so please be patient — it’s gonna be a while until we can share more details.
⚔️ https://t.co/6VCAokPgXs pic.twitter.com/ERFOXQrUEP

— The Witcher (@witchergame) October 26, 2022

Fifteen Years On

The original Witcher released back in 2007, fifteen years ago, and since then, the Witcher franchise has taken the world by storm. With The Witcher 3 and The Witcher Netflix series doing so well, it’s no wonder CD Projekt Red have decided to go back to their roots and shows fans where it all started. Albeit with a shiny new coat of paint. As they stated in their blog post: “The Witcher is where it all started for us. 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.”

And of working with Fool’s Theory, they added: “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.”

Expect to see brand-new character models and updated graphics when The Witcher is remade in Unreal Engine 5.

So, it appears this remake is in very good hands. And with CD Projekt Red providing full creative oversight, it could be just as big as The Witcher 3.