CD Projekt Red recently shared a glimpse of The Witcher 4 during the State of Unreal presentation, but what many thought was gameplay turned out to be something else entirely. Instead of actual game footage, the studio showcased a tech demo built on the same technology to power the upcoming RPG.
During the presentation, viewers saw a visually great sequence featuring Ciri exploring an open world, visiting a town, and riding her horse, Kelpie. It looked like a first look at the game itself, but a statement from CDPR clarified that this was not The Witcher 4. Instead, it demonstrated the new systems and features developed with Unreal Engine 5, including tech like UAF, Nanite Foliage, Smart Objects, ML Deformer, and FastGeo Streaming.
Fans noticed the pattern: CD Projekt Red has shown dazzling demos before that didn’t quite match the launch product, such as with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077. This time, the demo was a heavily computed and pre-rendered sequence designed to impress at the showcase, rather than actual in-game footage.
The statement given to VGC explained this clearly: it’s a tech demo showing the robust foundation being built in collaboration with Epic Games to push open-world design further. The demo hints at what might be possible, but it’s not the game itself.
Will the final game look exactly like the demo? Probably not. However, if the past is any guide, The Witcher 4 should still be visually impressive. After all, The Witcher 3 remains visually appealing even after ten years.
