The Witcher Remake is Coming, Here’s Everything we Know

Here is all you need to know about the recently announced Witcher Remake which was recently announced.

The Witcher Re-Made

On October 26, we found out that the Witcher, CD Project Red's debut title from 2007, is getting a full-on remake in Unreal Engine 5 with the support of another studio composed of former CD Project Red developers. But before we get into the details, here is the official press statement:

“The Witcher is where it all started for us, for CD PROJEKT RED. It was the first game we made, ever, and it was a big moment for us then. Going back to this place and remaking the game for the next generation of gamers to experience it feels just as big, if not bigger,” said Adam Badowski, Head of Studio, CD PROJEKT RED. 

“Collaborating with Fool’s Theory on the project is just as exciting, as some of the people there have been previously involved in The Witcher games. They know the source material well, they know how much gamers have been looking forward to seeing the remake happen, and they know how to make incredible and ambitious games. And although it will take some time before we’re ready to share more about and from the game, I know it’ll be worth the wait.”

So let's talk about Fool's theory first, led by Jakub Rokosz who was a Senior Quest Designer at CD Project Red for Witcher 2 and Witcher 3. So there could not be anyone more perfect for the role of bringing the Witcher into the modern day. The studio has its name as an assistant credit on some of the great RPGs and action RPGs of the past few years, including Baldur's Gate III, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, and Outriders. They also released their own title Seven: The Days Long Gone in 2017.

While I couldn't find out if they have any experience with Epic's Unreal Engine 5 but these days, it seems to be one of the go-to's when it comes to game development. Especially with a lot of systems like shaders, lighting, and physics engines being pre-baked into the program as well as a seemingly endless library of assets, it can give any kind of development a head start. And in the near future, there'll be more and more studios looking into the program for these kinds of projects.

But why remake the Witcher? It is no secret that the 2007 release hasn't exactly gracefully and even the Enhanced Edition that was released a year later didn't make it any better. The title was, to put it gently, technically flawed. Running on the Aurora engine, which BioWare previously used in 2002 to make Neverwinter Nights.

Despite its technical flaws, the Witcher was probably the best roleplaying game in the trilogy. At the same time, the later titles turned more and more into action RPGs and later Open World RPGs of their eras. The Witcher lived closer to his CRPG companions, and controls were complicated, that is true, but many of the game's systems served to convert the many details from the books into a video game.

This went from how Geralt fought various monsters and enemies to a detailed potion brewing system. Simply put, before the Witcher turned into a generic action title after the Batman: Arkham series started, and before it blew up as a gigantic open-world title with amazingly written quests. The first title was really focused on making the concept of a monster-hunting potion addict into a video game with great success, mind you.

So there is a chance that with a remake, the ridged but integral potion and combat system will be closer to the most recent installment of the franchise. In which the potions were reduced to temporary buffs that were not even needed for most of the monster hunting and the focus shifted more towards just being a big open-world RPG with lots of stuff to do, while the being a Witcher part kinda fell to the wayside for the sake of a grander story. But we have hope!

For more gaming and esports news, check us out here at ESTNN