Witcher 1 remake: Rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5, won't be developed by CD Projekt

The original Witcher game is getting a remake in Unreal Engine 5, but it won't be developed by CD Projekt RED.

The Witcher 1, CD Projekt RED's first game released in 2007, will be completely overhauled in Epic's powerful UE5 tech. The project is actually one of the many Witcher titles that the studio previously announced; the remake is Project Canis Majoris, or "greater dog," in this case referring to a bigger version of the White Wolf's original debut.

The Witcher remake isn't actually being developed by CD Projekt, though the game is definitely in good hands. The game is in early stages of development in a new studio called Fool's Theory, which is made up of many veteran Witcher devs who worked on the series at CDPR. And don't forget that CD Projekt will be overseeing the game's progress as a creative supervisor to make sure everything fits.

The first Witcher game is known for its slick and fluid action-based combat, but certain elements just haven't stood the test of time. CD Projekt has routinely giving the Witcher Enhanced Edition out for free on GOG.com to celebrate various milestones and anniversaries.

We are thrilled to announce that The Witcher Remake is being worked on! That's right, the game that started it all is being rebuilt from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5.

The game is currently in the early stages of development at the Polish studio Fool's Theory, where veteran Witcher series staff are involved. We, as CD PROJEKT RED, are providing full creative supervision.

The Witcher Remake is what you might know by the codename "Canis Majoris". It's still early and we want to ensure that the game is created with the utmost care and attention to detail, therefore, while we're excited to share the news with you, we want to ask you for patience as it will be a while until we start talking about this project in detail.

"The Witcher is where it all started for us, for CD PROJEKT RED. It was the first game we made, ever, and it was a big moment for us then. Going back to this place and remaking the game for the next generation of gamers to experience it feels just as big, if not bigger," said Adam Badowski, Head of Studio, CD PROJEKT RED.

"Collaborating with Fool's Theory on the project is just as exciting, as some of the people there have been previously involved in The Witcher games. They know the source material well, they know how much gamers have been looking forward to seeing the remake happen, and they know how to make incredible and ambitious games. And although it will take some time before we're ready to share more about and from the game, I know it'll be worth the wait."