➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: The Witcher opens up

• 😯 The Witcher remake is making a big departure from the original game

• 🗺 Geralt's revamped first adventure will be an "open-world RPG"

• 👑 A fully open-world map wasn’t introduced in the series until The Witcher 3

• ⌛ Expect bigger changes to be announced down the line

The upcoming remake of the first Witcher game will be an open-world RPG, marking a big departure from the original.

CD Projekt Red described the remake as a “story-driven, single-player open-world RPG” and a “modern reimagining of 2007’s The Witcher” in a recent presentation to investors.

Unlike the series’ breakout success The Witcher 3, the original Witcher RPG didn’t feature a seamless open-world map. The game was broken into chapters, each with discrete maps that you couldn’t freely travel between or revisit.

The Witcher remake was announced as a ground-up redesign of the classic RPG, but this is the first hint we’ve had as to how mammoth a reinvention it will really be. We’ve not been told a release date yet, but do know it will be made in Unreal Engine 5.

Although CD Projekt Red is supervising development, the remake is being created by Fool’s Theory, a smaller studio that’s previously contributed to the making of Baldur’s Gate 3, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, and DLC for Divinity: Original Sin 2. Several individual developers who worked on previous Witcher games will also be involved.

CD Projekt Red certainly has its work cut out for it on other projects. It’s already teased a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, and has a fresh Witcher trilogy in the works. Don’t expect to hear any more details about those for quite a while yet.

The Witcher 3 will be returning to the small screen shortly. Its long-awaited next-gen update is finally set to release on December 14, rolling out improved visuals (including ray tracing), faster load times, and additional content tied to the Netflix Witcher TV series to PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. So go ahead and secure a PS5 restock while you can to experience The Continent in all its improved glory.

Here’s hoping The Witcher 3’s next-gen update really delivers. While Cyberpunk 2077 earned an honorable mention on our pick of the best PS5 games and best Xbox Series X games, CD Projekt Red’s flagship title hasn’t had the chance to earn its stripes. I’ve got faith that Geralt will pull through and make the cut.