CD Projekt says abandoning its in-house engine for The Witcher 4 had nothing to do with Cyberpunk 2077's technical woes: 'The dream of the company was actually never to make technology'

CD Projekt Red has decided to abandon its in-house engine, REDengine, for The Witcher 4 and adopt Unreal Engine 5 instead. This move has raised questions about the studio's decision, particularly in light of Cyberpunk 2077's technical struggles. However, CD Projekt Red's co-CEO, Michał Nowakowski, has clarified that the choice was not directly related to Cyberpunk 2077.

Nowakowski stated that the company's primary goal has never been to develop technology, but rather to tell engaging and immersive stories. When CD Projekt Red witnessed the Matrix Awakens demo of Unreal Engine 5, they realized that adopting third-party tech would be more beneficial for creating their ambitious games. Nowakowski further explained that their collaboration with Unreal will involve not just licensing the engine, but also influencing its development to meet their specific needs.

This partnership could potentially impact the future evolution of Unreal Engine 5 and potentially extend to Unreal Engine 6, which CD Projekt Red has no plans to rely on AI for game creation.