June 3, 2025 CDPR has confirmed to VGC that the footage shown is "not The Witcher 4 itself," but rather strictly a tech demo.
I can't quite believe I'm saying this, but CD Projekt Red has shown off the very first The Witcher 4 gameplay. As a part of the State of Unreal 2025 showcase, the team at CDPR has given us a look at a technical demo for the highly anticipated open-world RPG, and it looks stunning.
RPGs. While the State of Unreal gameplay is labeled as a tech demo, suggesting Ciri's adventure still has a lot of work that needs to be done, it's nevertheless our first ever look at what gameplay could look like.
In the trailer, Ciri is exploring the Kovir region – the footage you're seeing is running on a base PS5 at 60 fps with ray tracing. Our Witcher also has a new horse called Kelpie, which she rides into a bustling port town. Here she meets a handful of untoward characters, overhears some timely gossip, and triggers a number of organic interactions between The Witcher 4's NPCs.
CDPR's new take on the world of The Witcher is fully realized, with plenty of characters going about their day in the background while Ciri works on her next contract. It's by far the best-looking game the studio has ever made.
In a statement sent to VGC, CD Projekt Red has also further outlined what was shown: "This is a tech demo, and a first look at the cutting-edge technology powering The Witcher 4 – but not The Witcher 4 itself.
"It showcases the powerful foundation we're building in close collaboration with Epic Games to push open-world design further than ever before and the core systems and features we're developing using Unreal Engine 5.
"We're really proud of this early milestone and excited to give you a sneak peek at some of the cool tech like UAF, Nanite Foliage, Smart Objects, ML Deformer and FastGeo Streaming that are helping shape the future of The Witcher."
Make sure you brush up on best The Witcher 3 mods to keep you entertained.
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