The Witcher 1 remake put on hold to wait for The Witcher 4

Development on the remake of the first game in The Witcher series is effectively on hold, as it needs to wait for The Witcher 4 to progress.

First announced back in 2022, the remake of 2007’s The Witcher is being developed by Fool’s Theory, but the studio currently has its attention elsewhere in the franchise.

Most of the team is working on the upcoming The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past expansion, while some developers are assisting CD Projekt Red with The Witcher 4. That has left the remake waiting until work on the next mainline game reaches the point where development can continue.

The Witcher Remake is waiting for Witcher 4 before development continues

In a statement given to GameSpot, CD Projekt Red explained that the situation isn’t simply a matter of moving developers between projects. The remake itself is using technology being created for The Witcher 4.

“Fool’s Theory team is focused mainly on the development of Witcher 3: Songs of the Past, while a relatively small part of their team is supporting the development of The Witcher 4,” a CDPR representative said.

“As we have previously announced, the development on The Witcher Remake has been temporarily integrated with The Witcher 4 due to production process dependencies.”

CD Projekt Red

That relationship means Fool’s Theory can’t simply push ahead with the remake independently while CDPR finishes its next game.

“As The Witcher Remake will be built on the foundation laid by The Witcher 4, we need to have the necessary assets, tools, and pipelines ready for efficient development,” the representative added.

So, while there is no cause for concern, work on the remake has been temporarily paused. However, fans will be hoping that Fool’s Theory can return to the remake soon.

There is currently no official release date for either project, but CD Projekt Red is targeting a 2028 release window for The Witcher 4. The game is set to follow Ciri and take place mostly in Kovir and Lan Exeter.