The Witcher Remake Put on Hold While CD Projekt Red Focuses on Witcher 4

CD Projekt Red has confirmed that development on the remake of the original Witcher game has been temporarily suspended, with the project sitting idle while developer Fool’s Theory concentrates its efforts on The Witcher 4 and The Witcher 3’s upcoming Songs of the Past expansion.

Why the Remake Is Waiting

The core reason for the pause is a technical dependency, according to IGN. The remake is being constructed on the same foundation as The Witcher 4, meaning the team cannot build efficiently until the necessary assets, tools, and production pipelines from that project are far enough along to be usable. A CDPR representative explained it plainly: “As The Witcher Remake will be built on the foundation laid by The Witcher 4, we need to have the necessary assets, tools, and pipelines ready for efficient development.”

In the meantime, the bulk of Fool’s Theory is dedicated to Songs of the Past, the new expansion for The Witcher 3, while a smaller portion of the team is supporting The Witcher 4 directly. That support role is not just a staffing arrangement. It also allows Fool’s Theory to get hands-on experience with the new tools and workflows before they eventually return to the remake in earnest.

What This Means for the Timeline

The Witcher remake was first announced back in 2022, and Fool’s Theory has been candid about its ambitions for the project, describing plans for an open-world structure and a willingness to rework or remove elements of the original game that feel outdated. None of that has changed, but the window for release has shifted further out.

Based on information reported by IGN, The Witcher 4 is currently targeting a 2028 release. Since the remake cannot realistically begin full production until Witcher 4 is well underway, a launch before 2028 looks unlikely. CD Projekt Red has also outlined plans to complete a new Witcher trilogy within six years of The Witcher 4’s debut, which suggests the remake could slot in between The Witcher 4 and its sequel as a way to keep fans engaged during that span.

CD Projekt Red’s Broader Slate

Beyond the Witcher franchise, CD Projekt Red is also moving ahead with a brand-new intellectual property currently known by the internal codename Project Hadar. The studio confirmed it is ramping up hiring and actively prototyping the game, though no further details about the project have been shared publicly. With The Witcher 4, Songs of the Past, the remake, and Project Hadar all in various stages of development, CDPR has one of the fuller pipelines in the industry heading into the latter half of the decade.

Sources: IGN