Let’s be real – CD Projekt Red knows they’ve got some serious making-up to do. To their credit, they’ve already done impressive damage control with Cyberpunk 2077. What started as one of the most notorious game launches in recent memory has transformed into a genuinely excellent game through countless patches and the massive Phantom Liberty expansion and Netflix show. But that doesn’t mean players have forgotten – or forgiven – the initial disaster.
The biggest change? They’re throwing out their own game engine and switching to Unreal Engine. For anyone who experienced the technical nightmares of Cyberpunk’s initial release, this feels like a calculated move to rebuild trust. Sure, Cyberpunk is now the game it should have been at launch, but the scars run deep. Players are understandably skeptical – fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice…well, you know the rest.
Speaking to Eurogamer, CD Projekt Red executives offered the best glimpse we’ve gotten into the development process of their next game. “We can share expertise, share people, share knowledge,” says Charles Tremblay, their vice president of technology. This isn’t just tech talk – it’s a direct response to the trust they’ve broken. The new approach will let them work on multiple projects simultaneously, including The Witcher 4. For fans who’ve watched the studio’s redemption arc with Cyberpunk, it’s a promising but tentative hope.
A Smarter Way to Make (and Sell) the Game
Let’s be clear: Cyberpunk’s journey from disaster to redemption is unprecedented. The studio proved they could not only fix a broken game but create something truly special. But that doesn’t mean players are ready to blindly trust another big release.
Joint CEO Michał Nowakowski knows this. The studio “learned a lot of good practices from that experience … announce the date when you’re like really, really sure of it.” A statement that would have been laughable during the Cyberpunk launch, but now carries some weight. The studio’s approach now feels like careful rehabilitation, not just of a game but their entire reputation.
The development team includes veterans from both The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk – developers who’ve been through the fire and (hopefully) learned from it. They’re promising a more unified platform release, which was catastrophically mishandled with Cyberpunk’s last-gen console version. But promises are cheap in the gaming world, and players have heard it all before.
A New Way of Thinking About Game Development
The most refreshing part? They sound like they genuinely understand their past mistakes. Not just technically, but in terms of player trust – a currency far more valuable than any pre-order.
“There’s no magic, only hard work and making sure you stay on the right course,” Nowakowski explained. It’s the kind of statement that would have seemed like a PR spin after Cyberpunk’s launch but now feels like a hard-learned lesson. The Witcher 3 proved they could create gaming magic when everything aligned perfectly – but Cyberpunk showed how quickly that magic can turn into a nightmare.
We know a few intriguing details about the game. It won’t focus on Geralt – which might disappoint some fans – but Doug Cockle’s iconic voice will still be involved. The game has entered “full-scale production,” but don’t expect players to start celebrating just yet. The wounds from Cyberpunk’s launch are still fresh.
Redemption, But Not Guaranteed
CD Projekt Red’s approach to The Witcher 4 feels like a careful apology, written in the language of game development. They’ve proven with Cyberpunk that they can turn a disaster into a triumph, but they’re starting from a place of deep skepticism.
By embracing technological innovation and showing they’ve actually learned from past mistakes, they’re doing more than making a game. They’re trying to rebuild a reputation that was nearly destroyed. For every player who loved The Witcher 3 but was burned by Cyberpunk, this feels like a moment of cautious hope.
The gaming world will be watching closely – not with excitement, but with a careful, critical eye. CD Projekt Red will need to do more than just say the right things. They’ll need to prove, step by step, that they can be trusted again.
Images by CD Projekt Red
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