CD Projekt Red announces REDengine 3, will be used to develop Cyberpunk 2077

Polish developer CD Projekt Red unveiled the latest version of its in-house engine this morning, REDengine 3, crafted specifically for the development of role-playing games with open-world environments with non-linear storylines.

In a press statement the company describes the engine as a "next-gen-ready solution" that will blur distinction between pre-rendered and real-time graphics. Color grading and lightning systems have been tweaked to make graphics look more true-to-life, and new animation systems for body movement and facial expression will broaden the range of emotions characters can convey.

The engine uses an updated version of CD Projekt Red's REDkit editor, a toolset tailor-made for producing RPGs. The tool allows developers to build numerous quests in a branch-like pattern and set them in an open environment in which free-roaming players can complete them at their discretion.

Previous iterations of the REDengine were used to develop The Witcher 2 for Windows PC and Xbox 360. CD Projekt Red will use REDengine 3 in the development of its science fiction RPG Cyberpunk 2077, slated for release in 2015.

"If we look at RPGs nowadays we find two approaches, one which emphasizes the story but limits the game world, and one that builds a vast, open world but hampers and simplifies the story," said CD Projekt Red studio head Adam Badowski. "With the REDengine 3 we combine the positive aspects of both approaches for the first time, creating an open environment with a complex, multi-thread story.

"When working on our previous titles, I didn't dream that we would achieve something like this," he added. "Thanks to the support of all our fans, now we have the possibility to use REDengine 3 and create something many RPG fans dream of."