Get ready for another chapter in the saga of The Witcher! CD Projekt Red has revealed that the highly anticipated remake of the original Witcher game is currently on hold, with development intertwined with the upcoming The Witcher 4. This means fans will have to wait a bit longer to experience Geralt’s first adventure in modern fidelity.
Tech Transfer: The Witcher 4 Paving the Way
Joint-CEO Michał Nowakowski recently spoke with The Game Business, shedding light on the reasons behind the delay. “We started a collaboration with Fool’s Theory. They were supposed to work on The Witcher 1 [remake], but we realized that needed a bit more time because of certain technology dependencies with The Witcher 4,” Nowakowski explained. This suggests that some of the cutting-edge technologies being developed for The Witcher 4 are crucial for realizing the vision of the remake.
CD Projekt is also transitioning from its proprietary RED Engine to Unreal Engine, and The Witcher 4 will serve as a showcase for this new engine. It appears that the remake of The Witcher 1, originally announced in 2022, has been impacted by this technological shift.
Development Shuffle: Songs of the Past and The Witcher 4
Fool’s Theory is currently focused on developing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s upcoming expansion, Songs of the Past, which was unveiled at Gamescom. Nowakowski’s previous statements to investors hinted at this delay, with a shift in tone during the Q&A reflecting on the entire 2024 fiscal year. He explained that the remake’s development had been integrated with The Witcher 4.
“Due to production process dependencies – among others related to assets and technology – we have decided to temporarily integrate its development with ongoing work on The Witcher 4,” he said. “As a result, a small portion of The Fool’s Theory team is currently supporting The Witcher 4 team. Our goal is to have the necessary assets, tools, and pipelines ready for more efficient development of The Witcher Remake.”
During a Q3 2025 earnings call, Nowakowski reiterated this point: “the majority of the team is currently involved in the other project [Songs of the Past], and also support for The Witcher 4, so there is some limited team working on TW1, but since it’s very much tied with TW4 development…for TW1 per se, it’s a smaller group of people.”
Release Window: Patience Required
While The Witcher 1 remake doesn’t have a release window yet, based on Nowakowski’s comments, it seems unlikely to arrive before The Witcher 3 Remastered later this month, Songs of the Past in 2027, and The Witcher 4 in 2028. So, for now, fans will have to exercise a bit more patience as CD Projekt Red works to bring Geralt’s first adventure to life with the power of next-generation technology.
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