Initial gameplay footage of The Witcher 4 debuted during today’s State of Unreal showcase, revealing cinematic sequences of a beast assaulting a carriage and protagonist Ciri investigating the aftermath. CD Projekt Red’s cinematic director then demonstrated live gameplay on a standard PS5, maintaining 60fps with ray tracing active.

Ciri’s mount Kelpie showcased advanced biomechanical animations via Unreal Engine’s Chaos Flesh Solver, enabling lifelike movement without performance trade-offs. Environments utilized Nanite Foliage for dense vegetation rendering, while Vargrest City teemed with autonomous NPCs engaged in activities like market interactions and wildlife observation.

The demonstration highlighted seamless transitions between exploration and scripted sequences, including dialogue interactions. Developers emphasized visual parity between main characters and NPCs, exemplified by crowds discussing mundane topics with nuanced animations. A stress-test circus scene displayed hundreds of characters reacting to performances without frame drops.

“We’re making this game to be the most immersive and ambitious open world Witcher game ever, and we’re making this a reality thanks to our work on Unreal with the team at Epic,” stated a studio representative during the presentation.

Recent financial disclosures confirm active development progress, though the title remains scheduled for a 2026 release.