Cyberpunk 2 REDengine Was Not Really the Issue Says CD Projekt CEO [2026]
Monday, September 21, 2026By Indie Kings | September 21, 2026
Updated September 21, 2026: CD Projekt co-CEO Michal Nowakowski says REDengine was not really the issue behind the Unreal Engine 5 switch, per a Deconstructor of Fun interview relayed by FRVR and GamesRadar. The dream was never to make technology, so scale economics drove the move as Cyberpunk 2 sits in early work with over 100 devs.
Image: Cyberpunk cutscene context. Credit: FRVR.
What Nowakowski said
Per FRVR on September 18 relaying Deconstructor of Fun, Nowakowski answered yes and no on Cyberpunk launch driving Unreal. Quote core: false assumption to blame REDengine itself.
Per the same relay and GamesRadar same-day report, second quote: dream of the company was actually never to make technology. Studio was not set up to support an engine of that scope as needed, per the CEO.
Per FRVR, Witcher 4 is deep in work eyed for 2028 while Cyberpunk 2 is early with over 100 devs. Titles after 2077 use UE5 across Witcher 4, Cyberpunk 2 and more, per the same post.
Why switch if engine was fine
Per PC Gamer September 2023 with director Gabe Amatangelo, engineers called Unreal a strategic shift for future scope. Quote core: not starting from scratch with methods like Ray Reconstruction carrying over.
Per the same PC Gamer interview, Amatangelo said REDengine does some things better with Epic work to bring those to Unreal, and the call is scale economics to do more, not necessarily better per pixel. That matches Nowakowski scale framing.
Per CD Projekt March 2022 partnership materials via 2021 transcript context, Epic deal was pitched to focus on creative direction over engine upkeep with multiplayer tech write-offs near 21 million PLN. Abandoning in-house multiplayer stack is documented there.
| Switch reason per execs | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Not engine failure | REDengine not really the issue | Nowakowski via FRVR |
| Org fit | Never wanted to make technology at scope | Nowakowski via GamesRadar |
| Scale economics | Do more content faster, carry methods over | Amatangelo via PC Gamer |
Where Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2 stand
Per The Verge May 2025 earnings, Cyberpunk 2 moved from concept to preproduction with 96 devs at April 30 and Phantom Liberty over 10 million sales. Cyberpunk 2 is working title only for another Cyberpunk universe game, per PR manager Ola Sondej.
Per FRVR September 2026, Cyberpunk 2 is now early development with over 100 devs while Witcher 4 is deep with 2028 expectation. Treat headcounts and dates as reported snapshots that move.
Per Ars Technica September 2023, Phantom Liberty was last REDengine DLC by technological decision, not sales verdict, per SVP Michal Nowakowski. That locked the Unreal cutover date.
- Witcher 4: Deep UE5 work, 2028 expectation per FRVR.
- Cyberpunk 2: Early UE5 work, 100 plus devs per FRVR.
- 2077 line: Closed on REDengine at Phantom Liberty.
REDengine record vs Unreal bet
Per Ars Technica January 2021, CEO Marcin Iwinski blamed in-game streaming system strain on old consoles with packed city plus disk bandwidth limits. That is a REDengine-era pipeline failure, distinct from Nowakowski claim that engine core was not the issue.
Per Ars Technica September 2023 context, 2077 stretch from 2013 teaser to 2020 launch plus refund and lawsuit history made vendor stability attractive. Epic 15-year partnership was pitched for predictability plus tools, per CD Projekt.
Our Arc future draft covers the same vendor-risk logic from the GPU side: judge by street delivery not slogans. Same lens applies to engines.
| Engine chapter | Record |
|---|---|
| REDengine 2011 to 2023 | Witcher 2 to 2077 plus Phantom Liberty, closed by tech decision |
| Streaming miss 2020 | Old-console bandwidth strain admitted by Iwinski |
| UE5 bet 2022 on | Epic partnership for predictability and scale |
FAQ
Who said REDengine was not the issue?
Per FRVR and GamesRadar relays, co-CEO Michal Nowakowski in Deconstructor of Fun interview.
Why move to Unreal then?
Per Nowakowski, company never wanted to make technology at that scope. Per Amatangelo, scale economics to do more.
What is Cyberpunk 2 status?
Per FRVR 2026, early development with over 100 devs. Per 2025, preproduction with 96 at snapshot.
What is Witcher 4 status?
Per FRVR, deep in development with 2028 expectation [NEEDS VERIFICATION on locked date].
Was 2077 launch engine fault?
Per Iwinski 2021, streaming system plus old hardware strain. Per Nowakowski 2026, core engine not the issue. Read as org versus core split.
Is FRVR primary?
No. Relay of Deconstructor of Fun interview with GamesRadar same-day corroboration.
Bottom Line
CD Projekt quit engine-making to ship games faster, not to bury REDengine. Watch Witcher 4 2028 delivery for proof.
Related: Intel confirms Arc future with Xe3P | Intel Arc Battlemage failure or future from 2025