7 takeaways from the Witcher 4 UE 5.6 Tech Demo
Image via: CD Projekt RED
During Epic Games' State of Unreal 2025 keynote, CD Projekt Red unveiled a jaw-dropping technical demo of The Witcher 4-not a chunk of the game itself but rather an imposing series of visuals and technical showcases for Unreal Engine 5.6.
It may take years before the fully operational game sets foot on U.S. soil, but what we have witnessed are glimpses at the future of open-world RPGs. Here are seven takeaways from the presentation that may change the fantasy worlds that players are accustomed to.
1.
Ciri
Takes Center Stage
For the first time, Ciri is featured as the main protagonist. Set years after the events of The Witcher 3, she is a witcher now seasoned in riding the snowy peaks of Kovir, a fresh region added to the franchise.
This shift means taking a new narrative perspective towards this trilogy focusing on her unusual powers and unexplored past.
The Witcher 4 - UE 5.6 Tech Demo | State of Unreal 2025
2. Transitions Are Smooth Between Cinematic and Gameplay
One feature stood out: no smooth handoff between pre-rendered cinematic and real-time gameplay. The lingering creature ambush morphed into a controlled exploration by the player without a single cut. That dynamic interaction goes down as more than mere technical exposure-it gives away on the standards for immersion in The Witcher 4, blurring the difference between storyline and action.
3. Muscles, Motion, and the Horse That Stole the Show
Kelpi is beyond just a mode of transport. It is an engineering marvel. The demo displayed musculature detail in motion through advanced skeletal simulation offered by UE 5.6. Such realism was not merely skin-deep;
4. Valdrest: A World Alive With Its Own Philosophy
When Ciri reaches the bustling town of Valdrest, the world had better respond to such things on a much larger scale. The NPCs react dynamically, not just to Ciri, but to one another too-a villager dropping food caused a cascade of reactions among the townsfolk.
Epic has indicated this was a scene with over 300 skeletal mesh agents being simulated at once, without any performance drop on a standard PlayStation 5.
The Witcher 4 — Unreal Engine 5 Tech Demo
5. Real-Time Streaming of the World, No Compromises
Unreal Engine's Fast Geometry Streaming Plugin facilitated seamless exploration with Ciri freely moving between open mountain roads, narrow alleys, and lively markets, without any loading screens or pop-in. Hence, we have large uninterrupted worlds not as some next-gen promise but something present in the reality.
6. Ray-Traced Beauty at 60 FPS on Console
A very worthy technical feat for the demo to be running at 60 frames per second with ray tracing on a base PS5. This means that Witcher 4 will not be reserved for future consoles. It will instead become a cross-generational premium experience much like Cyberpunk 2077.
Did the Witcher 4 Devs just fix UE5? The Witcher 4 "Gameplay" Tech Demo Unreal Engine 5.6 Analysis
7. A Glimpse into CDPR and Epic's Long-Term Vision
This demo was as much about Epic's engine as it was about The Witcher. Both companies emphasized this was a testbed for new tools co-developed to support sprawling, reactive open worlds. The implications go far beyond one game—the technologies on display are building blocks for the next decade of RPG development.
While The Witcher 4 remains on the horizon, the UE 5.6 tech demo offers a compelling preview of what's to come. Everyone is waiting for the saga to get released soon.
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