The Witcher 4: Check Out 30 New Screenshots From The State of Unreal Tech Demo

By Darryn Bonthuys on June 3, 2025 at 7:43AM PDT

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Epic’s State of Unreal event kicked off with a bang, as CD Projekt Red took to the stage with a new gameplay demo for The Witcher 4. Running on Unreal Engine 5, the short demo provided a closer look at the brand-new Kovir region, the nearby town of Valdrest, and a gruesome monster with a taste for human flesh that the game’s lead Ciri will have to eventually deal with.

One thing to note here is that the footage seen today is part of a tech demo for Unreal and not the actual game itself, a CDPR spokesperson said to Kotaku. Since development is still in an early stage, this video serves as a showcase of Unreal Engine 5 technology and the foundation that The Witcher 4 is being built on.

The Witcher 4 marks a major technological shift for CDPR, as the company had previously developed games inside of its in-house Red Engine before it changed to Unreal Engine. Th collaboration with Epic was announced several years ago, and this tech demo was a good look at what you can expect. The Witcher 4 won’t be out for quite a while yet–2027 at the earliest–but if the new footage is anything to go by, the game is going to be a head-turner when it does arrive and kicks off a new trilogy of Witcher adventures.

In case you want to pore over individual moments from the showcase, we’ve gathered dozens of screenshots below that you can peruse at your leisure.

The State of Unreal livestream kicked off innocently enough, as the new trailer showed off a local merchant and his bodyguard traveling at night. Surely nothing terrible will happen to them, right?

With that bit of foreshadowing out of the way, this brief scene showed off some subtle but detailed visuals. The merchant’s scroll probably contains plenty of details, and it has been rendered in exquisite detail here.

And so much for a pleasant carriage ride, as our soon-to-be monster food merchant finds himself under attack.

What’s really impressive here is that we’re seeing a lot of objects flying around and colliding in real time.

Well, at least things can’t get any worse.

Things get worse.

Unfortunately, no amount of coin is going to buy you out of being dinner, but at least this is a lovely shot to end this scene on.

And we’re treated to the same scene a few hours later, showing off some of the realistic lighting effects in The Witcher 4.

And here’s the star of the game, as Ciri makes a grand entrance.

The new region of Kovir is pretty cold, but at least Ciri is dressed properly.

Another look at Kovir in all its glory, as this never-before-seen region is currently under siege from monsters.

A closer look at The Witcher 4 tech demo, as Ciri makes her way down the path.

What’s astounding here is that CD Projekt Red claims this tech demo is running off of a base PS5 console at 60fps.

What good is a Witcher without a trusty steed? It’s time to meet Ciri’s favorite four-legged transportation, Kelpie.

Witcher and steed, reunited.

Back on the trail, Ciri heads for the town of Valdrest.

Not only does Kelpie look realistic, but the model used for Kelpie has actual musculature working underneath its skin.

A closer look at the Kovir forest in all of its natural beauty.

And in case you were wondering, this is what the forest looks like underneath the metaphorical hood in Unreal Engine 5.6.

Ciri makes it to Valdrest, a bustling market town.

As Ciri makes her way toward her current employer, you’ll spot a very reactive city around her.

Looks like the song “Toss a coin to your Witcher” might need a rewrite. While the beggar is grateful, the rest of Valdrest is openly dismissive and hostile of her, due to her Witcher status.