The Witcher 4 Demo at Unreal Fest Orlando Offered a Glimpse Into The State of Unreal
A new chapter in the world of The Witcher began at Unreal Fest 2025, where CD PROJEKT RED and Epic Games took center stage to unveil a cutting-edge tech demo for The Witcher 4. Built in Unreal Engine 5, the demo offered a glimpse into the game’s lush environments, next-gen technology, and a new direction for a studio still working to rebuild trust after the troubled launch of Cyberpunk 2077.
The presentation opened this year’s State of Unreal keynote and marked the first public look at Kovir, a long-referenced but never-before-playable region in the Witcher universe.
“We started our partnership with Epic Games to push open-world game technology forward. To show this early look at the work we’ve been doing using Unreal Engine running at 60 FPS on PlayStation 5, is a significant milestone and a testament of the great cooperation between our teams,” said Joint-CEO of CD PROJEKT RED, Michał Nowakowski, at the Orlando event.
Jump to:
The Witcher 4 – The Most Ambitious Witcher World to Date
The tech demo introduced players to the rugged and forested landscapes of Kovir. Riding through mountain passes and deep woods on her loyal horse Kelpie, Ciri made her way toward the bustling port town of Valdrest. In doing so, she gave audiences a first look at what CD PROJEKT RED calls the most ambitious Witcher world to date.
Visually, the demo was a showcase of modern fidelity. From high-density Nanite foliage that brings forests to life, to FastGeo Streaming that loads massive areas without breaking immersion, the presentation left no doubt that Unreal Engine 5 is central to the studio’s renewed technical ambitions.
What stood out was the blend of technology and storytelling. The mood was thick with atmosphere. Every shadow, every gust of wind seemed calibrated to draw players deeper into the setting. This is not just a new Witcher game. It is a recalibration of how CD PROJEKT RED wants to tell stories not only through dialogue and plot, but through worldbuilding on a technical level.
Unreal Engine 5 Powers a New Kind of Open World
A key focus of the tech demo was demonstrating the tools CDPR and Epic Games have been co-developing since their partnership began in 2022. From real-time crowd systems driven by Mass AI to subtle muscle movement enabled by machine learning animation tools, the studio emphasized performance without sacrifice.
Everything shown was running live on a PlayStation 5 at 60 frames per second. According to Epic, these tools are being made available to the wider development community starting today with Unreal Engine 5.6 signaling that CDPR is not just borrowing technology but helping shape it for the entire industry.
“CD PROJEKT RED is one of the industry’s best open-world game studios, and we’re grateful that they’re working with us to push Unreal Engine forward with The Witcher 4. They are the perfect partner to help us develop new world-building features that we can share with all Unreal Engine developers,” said Tim Sweeney, Founder and CEO of Epic Games.
The switch to Unreal Engine comes after years of using the studio’s in-house REDengine, which struggled to keep up during the launch of Cyberpunk 2077. While CDPR eventually stabilized that game and even expanded its universe with the successful Phantom Liberty DLC, the experience forced a serious internal reckoning.
CD PROJEKT RED Aims For Redemption Through Ciri
Placing Ciri in the lead role is a significant narrative and symbolic decision. Long a fan favorite, she represents not only the future of the Witcher universe but also a break from the past. Geralt’s story may be over (for now), but Ciri’s is just beginning.
CD PROJEKT RED has described The Witcher 4 as the start of a new saga, which implies depth, complexity, and risk. If CDPR’s plan is to use this game to mark a clean break from the turmoil of recent years, then choosing Ciri is a clever move. She is powerful, unpredictable, and entirely her own, much like the studio wants to be again.
The game remains in early development, but if this demo is any indication, CDPR is determined to avoid the pitfalls that plagued Cyberpunk 2077, which probably robbed it of a Game of the Year award back in 2020. This time, they are showing their work early. They are building in public.
A Second Chance For CDPR And a New Milestone For Open Worlds
CD PROJEKT RED has long been known for crafting intricate role-playing worlds, but technology has not always kept pace with their ambitions. With The Witcher 4, that may finally change.
What was once a studio chasing innovation alone is now partnering with Epic Games to push the boundaries of what open-world RPGs can be. The demo of Kovir is more than a technical achievement. It is a statement of intent.
“We’re far from finished. I look forward to seeing more advancements and inspiring technology from this partnership as development of The Witcher 4 on Unreal Engine 5 continues,” said Nowakowski.
