Tech blogger NikTek expressed concerns about the recent tech demo of The Witcher 4 using Unreal Engine 5. He believes the studio set a dangerous precedent by presenting an impressive tech demo as a showcase for the engine’s capabilities.
The fact that CD Projekt RED voluntarily showed this tech demo of The Witcher 4 as a showcase for Unreal Engine 5 means the studio has already set expectations accordingly. If the final game doesn’t look or play like this, it will be the same overpromising situation as Cyberpunk 2077, and I feel like there will be a backlash.
NikTek emphasizes that while the demo is labeled as a “technical presentation, not actual gameplay,” the purpose of such an engine demo is unclear unless the final product is identical—other than to generate hype around the project.
The blogger listed the key features that should be included in the release version:
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Synchronizing the movements of multiple characters
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Muscle deformation
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High density of vegetation
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Realistic crowds of NPCs
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Responsive game world
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Good performance without freezing UE5
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Seamless interactions with NPCs and cutscenes
I’ll be disappointed in CD Projekt RED if these features don’t make it into the final version, as it would mean the studio hasn’t learned its lessons from Cyberpunk 2077.
Another well-known blogger, Synth Potato, also expressed concern, citing Unreal Engine 5 as the game’s main obstacle.
Everyone believes CDPR will create a title with excellent gameplay, story, and an open world. The problem is, no one trusts the engine.
He urged the studio to focus on optimization and prove that this would be the first truly optimized open-world game on UE5.
After this, examples of excellent games using the engine began to be cited online, and then a debate broke out about how much CDPR would customize the Unreal Engine and whether it would follow the path of Embark, which, for The Finals and ARC Raiders, significantly changed the basic version of the engine.
Some players believe that switching from their own engine to UE5 was a mistake for The Witcher 4 developers, which will impact the final product. We’ll see in the next couple of years.
