An industry expert projects that CD Projekt RED may allocate close to $800 million for the development and marketing of The Witcher 4, according to Mateus Chrzanowski, a Polish analyst at Noble Securities. The current development budget stands at approximately £389 million, with an equal amount earmarked for marketing, totaling an estimated $778 million.

This budget represents a significant increase compared to The Witcher 3’s development costs, largely due to the competitive market and the substantial rise in AAA game development expenses.

CD Projekt RED has opted to transition from its in-house RED Engine to Epic’s Unreal Engine 5 for The Witcher 4, potentially incurring additional costs for hiring staff familiar with the new game engine.

The team size for Witcher 4 has expanded considerably, with 447 permanent employees currently working on the project, a notable increase from the 240 staff members involved in The Witcher 3’s development.

The Witcher 4 is shaping up to be CD Projekt RED’s most ambitious undertaking yet, following the release of Cyberpunk 2077, which faced challenges due to its troubled launch. The development team is likely taking precautions to prevent a similar scenario with The Witcher 4.

Although no official release date has been announced for the highly anticipated RPG, only a cinematic trailer and an in-engine preview have been revealed, emphasizing that they do not reflect actual gameplay but showcase the game’s visual quality.

The upcoming installment will feature Ciri as the protagonist, embarking on a journey to the northern regions of Kovir and Poviss, replacing Geralt in the lead role.

While rumors suggest a secret DLC for The Witcher 3 is in the works, CD Projekt RED has not confirmed its existence yet. Fans eagerly await further updates on this potential content while preparing for the launch of The Witcher 4.

In the meantime, enthusiasts can enjoy watching the Unreal Engine 5 demo and revisit The Witcher 3 as they eagerly anticipate the next chapter in the series.