CD Projekt RED announced the latest iteration of its open-world RPG engine today, REDengine 3. It will make its debut in the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077, as the engine has been crafted specifically to support CD Projekt's style of open-world, non-linear stories popularized in The Witcher 2.

The first engine was used for The Witcher 2, in fact, and the second for its Xbox 360 port. The latest version boasts face and body animation systems, various tricks to make more detailed visuals, and an updated REDkit editor with a focus on building branching quests.

"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 head Adam Badowski in the announcement. "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. Together with believable characters, a captivating tale and a world where players can roam freely without loading times, we will be able to move gaming to a new level with a realistic feel and full player immersion."