In a moment that sent ripples of nostalgia through the entire arena, Ed Sheeran surprised fans at the Pokémon World Championships this weekend. The pop superstar took to the stage during Championship Sunday, delivering both his 2022 single “Celestial” and an acoustic rendition of the iconic theme song from the original Pokémon anime.
A Surprise Performance for Dedicated Fans
The performance took place at the Chase Center in San Francisco, marking a highlight of the 2026 World Championships. Sheeran’s appearance was met with thunderous applause as he seamlessly transitioned between his modern hit and the beloved classic. This wasn’t just a concert; it was a celebration of Pokémon history.
Sheeran’s History with Pokémon
This isn’t Sheeran’s first foray into the world of Pokémon. His song “Celestial” was featured on the end credits of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. The original announcement of “Celestial” back in 2022 included a music video showcasing Sheeran interacting with various Pokémon, including the ever-popular Pikachu.
New Stop-Motion Series Coming to Disney+
Adding to the excitement, The Pokémon Company International and Aardman Animation unveiled the first teaser trailer for Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu, a brand new stop-motion series slated for release on Disney+ next year. The trailer promises a heartwarming adventure filled with peril, alliances, rivalries, extraordinary Pokémon, and plenty of laughs as our unlikely heroes navigate the world of Galar.
CD Projekt Red Learns from Past Mistakes: Optimizing The Witcher 4
While fans celebrated Sheeran’s performance, news also emerged regarding CD Projekt Red’s upcoming title, The Witcher 4. The studio is acutely aware of the disastrous launch and subsequent performance issues that plagued Cyberpunk 2077, and they are taking a radically different approach to optimization for their next major release.
In a move designed to avoid a repeat of past problems, CD Projekt Red is running the game on all its target platforms throughout development. As studio co-CEO Michal Nowakowski explained to Game Developer, “You come to the studio, you launch Witcher 4 right now. You can launch it on PC. You can launch it on PS5. You can launch it on Xbox Series X, and it’s going to run.”
Previously, CD Projekt Red had adopted a strategy of optimizing for the most powerful hardware (PC) first, with the assumption that scaling down performance for consoles would be relatively straightforward. However, this approach proved problematic with Cyberpunk 2077, leading to significant technical issues on PS4 and Xbox One. The game’s poor performance on these platforms was so severe that Sony ultimately removed it from the PlayStation Store.
“The way the studio was thinking was that we are reaching for the best possible visuals,” Nowakowski explained. “We want to push the boundaries of what is doable in terms of cinematic feeling and whatnot, and PC was just the best suited rig for that.” The team held a “false belief” that it wouldn’t be much of a challenge to “tone down” the experience for consoles. This lesson was carried over from The Witcher 3, but ultimately proved insufficient with Cyberpunk 2077.
Now, CD Projekt Red is taking a more cautious and proactive approach, ensuring that performance optimization is an ongoing process throughout development. “Since then, we don’t take chances,” Nowakowski stated. “We want to be sure that it actually works.” This refined strategy also extends to internal milestone tracking and addressing platform-specific challenges.
The Witcher 4 is currently slated for a 2028 release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. With the lessons learned from past experiences, fans are hopeful that this new installment will deliver a stable and enjoyable experience across all platforms.
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