Epic Games Unveils Unreal Engine 5.6 with CD Projekt Red Demo

An ongoing tradition at Epic Games’ major keynotes is a gorgeous tech demo that showcases the capabilities of its game engine. This year, during the State of Unreal event, the company collaborated with CD Projekt Red, the developer behind The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077. The demo provides a stunning glimpse into a fantasy world filled with blood, fire, and monsters, featuring a new horse as a highlight.

New Features in Unreal Engine 5.6

The demo was constructed using Unreal Engine 5.6, showcasing the new protagonist, Ciri, as she explores lush forested areas and a vibrant marketplace known as Valdrest. Epic Games emphasizes that this demonstration is designed to illustrate how the latest iteration of the engine can effectively manage both bustling scenes and intricate foliage in an expansive open-world environment.

Additionally, the demo highlights significant advancements in horse technology since the release of The Witcher 3. Epic Games reported that the demo runs on a base model PlayStation 5 at 60 frames per second, with ray tracing enabled. The presentation included a live demonstration, where developers played the game on stage, showcasing the engine’s capabilities in real-time.

Visual Highlights from the Demo

Here’s the cinematic intro:

And a look at horseback gameplay:

Additionally, here are several images from the demo:

CD Projekt Red’s Transition to Unreal Engine 5

It has been confirmed that CD Projekt Red has transitioned to Unreal Engine 5 for its upcoming Witcher game as far back as 2022, following a partnership with Epic Games. This decision likely stems from the technical challenges faced during the development of previous titles that plagued Cyberpunk 2077’s launch. Last year, the company revealed a cinematic trailer featuring Ciri as the new lead character, replacing Geralt. However, there is currently no official release date for the game.

Availability of Unreal Engine 5.6

The 5.6 version of Unreal Engine is now available to developers starting today, providing them with new tools and features to enhance their game development processes.