In a recent interview, CD Projekt Red's Vice President of Technology Charles Tremblay shed light on the studio's significant decision to switch from their internal REDengine to Epic Games' Unreal Engine. This move was not a result of the challenging development of Cyberpink 2077, as some might assume. Tremblay emphasized that the entire team, including himself, holds great pride in the engine they built for Cyberpunk.

Unraveling CD Projekt Red's Engine Transition

Reasons for the Engine Switch

The Vice President made it clear that the decision to switch engines was not due to dissatisfaction with their in-house REDengine. Instead, it was a strategic move aimed at exploring new possibilities and enhancing the development process. Tremblay stated, "We wanted to expose ourselves to different technologies and workflows to bring more innovation to our projects. The Unreal Engine offers a wide range of tools and features that we believe will benefit our future endeavors."This switch also allows the studio to collaborate more effectively with other developers and take advantage of the growing ecosystem around Unreal Engine. It opens up new opportunities for cross-platform development and integration with other popular games and tools.

Multi-Project Approach

One of the key strategies the studio plans to adopt in the future is having multiple projects in the works simultaneously. Currently, they are focusing on The Witcher 4, the Cyberpunk sequel codenamed Orion, and the new IP codenamed Hadar. Tremblay explained that in the past, they built things in a very one-sided manner, with only one project at a time. While they pushed the limits with each project, they realized that working on multiple projects in parallel and sharing technology would lead to greater efficiency and creativity.By having multiple projects in development, the studio can leverage shared resources and expertise, reducing duplication of efforts and speeding up the development process. It also allows for more experimentation and innovation across different projects, as teams can learn from each other and apply new ideas.

Benefits and Challenges

Switching to a new engine comes with its own set of benefits and challenges. On one hand, Unreal Engine provides advanced graphics capabilities and a vast library of assets, which can enhance the visual quality and immersion of their games. It also offers better optimization for different platforms, making it easier to reach a wider audience.However, there are also challenges to overcome. Adapting to a new engine requires time and effort from the development team. They need to learn new workflows and tools, and ensure compatibility with existing projects. Tremblay acknowledged these challenges but remained optimistic about the potential benefits. He said, "It's a learning process, but we believe that the long-term gains will outweigh the initial difficulties. We are committed to making this transition successful and delivering even better games to our players."