The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Upgrade Delayed Again as CDPR Takes Over Development

ign.com:

CD Projekt Red announced it is delaying the next-gen version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt indefinitely, and will no longer be releasing the upgrade in Q2.

Part of the delay may have to do with the change in the developer. Previously, the update was being developed externally by Saber Interactive, but CD Projekt Red has elected to bring the remainder of the game's development in-house

“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,” a recent Tweet on The Witcher’s account reads. “We are currently evaluating the scope of work to be done and thus have to postpone Q2 release until further notice. We'll update you as soon as we can. Thank you for your understanding.”

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. We are currently evaluating the scope of work to be done and thus have to postpone Q2 release until further notice. 1/2

The upcoming free upgrade is intended to “visually and technically” enhance the PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X versions of the game, which was originally released in 2015.

The upgrade was originally planned for a late 2021 release but faced initial delays based on “recommendations supplied by persons supervising development,” according to a 2021 Tweet.

This isn’t the first delayed project from CD Projekt Red, either — Cyberpunk 2077 was also repeatedly delayed before its release.

While this next-gen version is currently facing delays, CD Projekt Red is continuing to expand on The Witcher. Last month, the company announced that a new Witcher game is also in development. Previously, IGN awarded The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt our Game of the Year