The Witcher 4 is highly anticipated by fans of the RPG series. A recently released tech demo has already given some impressions of the world and characters, but a developer warns against having too high expectations.
What is the status of The Witcher 4? In early June, CD Projekt Red released a tech demo for the fourth part of their RPG series. This provides the first detailed look at the world and some characters – including the new protagonist Ciri.
The tech demo is visually impressive and gives a taste of the finished game – but nothing more. The material shown is for demonstration purposes only and does not represent the final product. CD Projekt Red, however, fears that not all players are aware of this – which can lead to problems.
To avoid misunderstandings, a developer has elaborated further on the topic. After all, the team wants to avoid a fiasco like the release of Cyberpunk 2077 this time.
Here you can see the tech demo in full:
“Not the actual game”
What does the developer say? Jan Hermanowicz is part of CD Projekt Red and works as Engineering Production Manager on the new Witcher spin-off. In an interview with Gamesradar+, he discusses the new video material.
He emphasizes that this is a “technology demo, not the actual game or gameplay.” The showcased section of the world is supposed to actually appear in the game, and the art style and various design elements come from the ongoing development of The Witcher 4.
Nevertheless, the final game does not have to look the same as in the tech demo. Elements used can be altered or completely discarded.
In short: The product that will be launched can differ significantly from the tech demo.
Why is this important? CD Projekt Red had to learn a hard lesson with Cyberpunk 2077: The game was in a technically disastrous state at release – especially on consoles. Coincidentally, the tech demo of The Witcher 4 ran on a PS5, instead of a powerful PC – to prove that they want to do better this time.
Moreover, the trailers of Cyberpunk 2077 had probably raised false expectations among some players, partly because it was not always clear what was a tech demo and what was actual gameplay.
That’s why Jan Hermanowicz is very transparent with The Witcher 4: “We do not call it gameplay, we do not pretend that it is the actual game. It is a technology demo.”
The approach of being transparent from the beginning with the shown material for The Witcher 4 is certainly a good decision. This way, false expectations can hopefully be avoided.
How the game will actually look in the end will be shown in the future. Until then, fans can already get a first rough impression of the direction it might take through the tech demo. The demo has already thrilled MeinMMO editor Sophia: If The Witcher 4 really turns out to be as cool as the tech demo looks, I have found my home
