The Witcher Remake Stalls: Why the Delay?

Fans of the Witcher saga from CD Projekt RED will need to exercise some patience. The company has shared its ambitious plans for the next three years, including three major releases. However, the road to updating the classic has proven rockier than initially expected.

CD Projekt RED’s Plans for The Witcher Series

According to the latest financial report, the Polish studio plans to launch three landmark projects within the next three years. The list includes:

• The Witcher 3 Remaster.
• An expansion titled Songs of the Past.
• A brand-new entry in the series — The Witcher IV.

The Fate of The Witcher Remake

Announced back in 2022, the project to update the original 2007 game has hit a major hurdle: a lack of human resources. Development is handled by the external studio Fool’s Theory, which has a team of about two hundred people. Most of these specialists are currently engaged in creating Songs of the Past, while others are supporting the team working on The Witcher IV.

The transition of the fourth installment to Unreal Engine 5 required more effort than originally forecast, which impacted the schedules of related projects.

The Reason for the Pause

The core issue lies in the technological dependencies between the projects. Since the remake is being built upon the technological assets and foundations of The Witcher 4, developers must first prepare a robust infrastructure, tools, and pipelines. Without these, producing the remake loses its efficiency.

Consequently, full-scale production of the game will likely resume only after work on the Songs of the Past DLC is complete. Current forecasts suggest the active development phase will restart in 2027, with the official release scheduled for after The Witcher IV hits the market.

At first glance, the pause in the development of The Witcher remake might seem like bad news for fans of the original. However, CD Projekt RED’s decision has a logical explanation. Instead of creating multiple projects simultaneously on an immature technological base, the studio is first refining the foundation for The Witcher IV. These very tools, assets, and production processes will eventually serve as the bedrock for the updated version of the first game. Therefore, the remake isn’t being cast aside; it is being set aside to return later with a much stronger technological base. Perhaps the wait will prove to be the price that must be paid for a truly modern take on the beginning of the Witcher’s story.