The Witcher 3 next-gen launch slips again, CDPR is taking over development duties

CD Projekt RED announced an upgraded and enhanced version of its hugely popular fantasy RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt all the way back in 2020, promising major graphics upgrades and other improvements for the new consoles and PC. The upgrade's launch plans would later be pushed to 2022. Now it seems another major delay has hit the project, and this time there isn't even a new release window.

"We have decided to have our in-house development team conduct the remaining work on the next-gen version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt," CD Projekt RED today announced suddenly via its official The Witcher Twitter profile.

Saber Interactive — the studio known for its support work with major studios of Xbox, Rockstar, and others, and even ported The Witcher 3 to the Nintendo Switch — was behind the next-gen project, at least until recently it seems. It's unclear why CD Projekt RED decided to take over the development.

"We are currently evaluating the scope of work to be done and thus have to postpone Q2 release until further notice," continued CD Projekt RED on Twitter. "We'll update you as soon as we can. Thank you for your understanding."

With a Q2 2022 launch now out of the question, fans may be waiting quite a bit longer to get their upgraded Geralt action, depending on how the original studio evaluates the work required. This long-awaited version of The Witcher 3 is coming to PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. It is said to include visual upgrades like ray tracing as well as technical improvements. Elements from the franchise's popular Netflix series are also being added to this release.

CD Projekt RED is also working bringing back The Witcher franchise for a brand-new gaming saga, this time powered by Unreal Engine 5.

The Witcher 3 next-gen launch slips again, CDPR is taking over development duties