The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Version Delayed Again - But That May Not Be A Bad Thing
Way back in September 2020 (which feels like eons ago), CD Projekt Red confirmed it was working on a next-gen update for "The Witcher 3" on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. We didn't hear more about the next-gen version of the game until March 2021, when a CD Projekt Red developer confirmed the studio was targeting a release for the second half of 2021. Unfortunately, that window ultimately didn't pan out, as CD Projekt Red wound up delaying "The Witcher 3" for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S to sometime in Q2 2022.
Well, we're officially 13 days into that quarter and the latest update on this next-gen version is not a great one. CD Projekt Red has decided to delay the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of "The Witcher 3" yet again. Even worse is that this time around, we don't have a new release window for the game. In other words, it's been delayed indefinitely, and while that might sound dire on the surface, it may not be a bad thing in the long run.
Development moves back to CD Projekt Red
In an announcement published to the official "Witcher" Twitter account, CD Projekt Red announced the delay while also revealing that development on the next-gen version is moving back 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," the tweet 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 understanding."
While that certainly isn't the most pleasant tweet — and indeed, an indefinite delay like this one suggests there's plenty of work to be done — it does spur some hope for the finished product, whenever that may arrive. It sounds like CD Projekt Red had outsourced the development of the next-gen version to a third-party studio and wasn't pleased with the progress that studio made. Taking things into its own hands could mean a better experience for players when the next-gen port is done, though, of course, that's just pure speculation on our part.
In any case, we'll let you know when CD Projekt Red shares more about the state of "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt" for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, but we might be waiting a while as the studio determines what the path ahead looks like.