CD Projekt Red Shifts Focus to Unreal Engine 5, Marking the End of the REDengine Era

In a recent development, CD Projekt Red (CDPR), the creators behind the popular game Cyberpunk 2077, confirmed that the forthcoming expansion, “Phantom Liberty”, will be the only extension of the game. This decision stems from a significant shift in the technology used for game development, moving from their proprietary REDengine to the more advanced Unreal Engine 5, marking a new phase for the company.

Insights from the Earnings Call

During a Q&A session at CDPR’s earnings call, which took place on Wednesday, Michał Nowakowski, the Senior Vice President of Business at CD Projekt Red, reiterated the company’s firm stance on limiting the expansion of Cyberpunk 2077 to just “Phantom Liberty”. According to Nowakowski, this decision is not influenced by the potential success of the expansion in terms of sales, but rather a technological choice to transition to a new engine for future developments.

Quoting Nowakowski’s Statement

Nowakowski elaborated on the company’s position saying,

“As we have announced a long time ago, we’re not going to make a second or third [Cyberpunk 2077] expansion. This is the only expansion of the game, and it has nothing to do with the numbers and how satisfied or not we are with sales or anything of the kind. It’s a technological decision to be honest. This is the last time we’re working on the REDengine for the time being at least, and in the foreseeable future as you know we are working on the Unreal Engine from Epic. This was one of the key reasons why we decided this was the only [Cyberpunk expansion].”

Strategic Partnership with Epic Games

Last year, CDPR embarked on a multi-year strategic collaboration with Epic Games. This partnership aims to develop a fresh installment of the Witcher game series, along with a comprehensive remake of the original Witcher game released in 2007. The latter project is already underway, with the Polish studio Fool’s Theory spearheading the development, leveraging the potentials of Unreal Engine 5 to rebuild the game from scratch.

Upcoming Release of Phantom Liberty

Fans of Cyberpunk 2077 have much to look forward to with the release of “Phantom Liberty”, scheduled for September 26. This expansion promises to revamp critical gameplay elements and enrich the gaming environment of Cyberpunk 2077, offering a more immersive experience. This release will coincide with a complimentary version 2.0 update, further enhancing the game’s dynamics.

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