A spectacular cocktail is forming between CD Projekt Red and Epic Games. The Polish developer has got down to work with the new saga of The Witcher, which will be built from the Unreal Engine 5 graphics engine. Precisely the owners of Fortnite have left us speechless with its official launch.
If we start from creations like the one made by The Coalition, the possibilities are unique. Until now, CD Projekt Red has used its own engine, REDengine, to shape the adventures of Geralt de Rivia. This change is particular and several members of the study have shared the reasons for this key jump:
Soak in more information on why @CDPROJEKTRED you have chosen to use #UE5 to build new open-world games, including a new saga for The Witcher! 😻 pic.twitter.com/IVKFKljwf7
— Unreal Engine (@UnrealEngine) April 5, 2022
Pawel Zawodny, the company’s chief technology officer, clarifies that the UE5’s great compatibility with the open world format drew the project in that direction. For his part, Jason Slama, one of the main directors of the team, offers a little curiosity in what he believes was a hidden message to CD Projekt Red:
“Last year there was a Medieval Environment demo, where we got to see a bulletin board that looked like things we’d done before. There was a sign: ‘Monster Slayer Wanted’. And I thought maybe that was a sign for us to change to Unreal Engine. Unreal games look great. Was the demo made for this vile purpose? I don’t know, but it certainly caught my eye.”
Slama emphasizes that by creating an open world context and with the possibilities that are put on the table for the player, it is necessary to work in a stable environment. Jakub Knapik, art director, details that the many functions that Unreal Engine 5 integrates allow you to easily create prototypes with a very high level of realism.
Of course, CD Projekt Red has never lacked ambition when it comes to creating its projects, and in that sense Zawodny already ventures indicating that “Epic and CD Projekt Red are two companies that really want to achieve something historic. (. ..) this is just the beginning. We are not going to stop there.”