At the State of Unreal 2025 address, CD Projekt Red showcased the possibilities of The Witcher 4 on the PlayStation 5 with Unreal Engine 5.6 through an engaging technical demonstration. This demo demonstrated notable improvements in graphics and performance, even though it was not representative of the finished game.

A major change in CD Projekt Red’s production methodology can be seen in the switch from the studio’s proprietary RED engine to Unreal Engine 5. The goal of this modification is to enable more intricate AI systems, bigger game worlds, and a more effective development pipeline. CD Projekt Red’s modified version of Unreal Engine 5 has features like “TurboTECH” to lessen performance problems that are frequently found in open-world games.

ML Deformer

According to the PlayStation blog post, CD Projekt Red revealed to the world immediately in the tech presentation that Ciri’s horse, Kelpie, is significantly more sophisticated than our longtime pal Roach. They put a lot of effort into creating high-quality, immediate-time character deformations in addition to technology that makes managing Kelpie feel considerably more realistic and grounded.

High-fidelity data gives ML Deformer the capacity to effectively approximate complicated deformations during gaming, enabling features like Kelpie’s muscles that are to move and flex precisely. This makes it possible for these remarkably lifelike movements to occur without negatively impacting the game’s performance.

Quick Streaming of Geometry

It’s also keeping an eye on the big picture. All in the tech demo, including the deep valleys, expansive forests, and snowy mountaintops, loads smoothly and without sacrificing performance thanks to Fast Geometry Streaming. It is visible throughout the tech demo, which indicates that it is functioning as intended.

For instance, we join up with Ciri before she arrives in the busy trading city of Valdrest. There is no stuttering or item pop-ins as we move swiftly across the world and in and around various environmental features. Fast Geometry Streaming is a lightweight approach to register and unregister assets in order to load static geometry as soon as possible.

Framework of Mass

Mass Framework, another technology that enhances the world’s plausibility and sense of realism, replicates crowds and AI behavior similar to those found in Valdrest’s bustling marketplace. Mass’s data-driven architecture is perfect for building dynamic, realistic populations in games since it can handle thousands of agents at low-performance costs.

It also makes sophisticated interactions and intelligent objects possible. For instance, we watch Ciri run into a man with a crate of apples as she makes her way to the market. One of the ways to make The Witcher 4 the most immersive Witcher video game to date is by incorporating interactions like this.

Taking a Forward Look

Although the tech demo has created a lot of buzz, CD Projekt Red has made it clear that it is not the final version of the game. The Witcher 4 is not anticipated to be released before 2027, according to the company, with possible delays lasting into 2028. As the first entry in a new Witcher tale, the game will immerse players in a vast and captivating universe.