The chief executive at The Witcher 3 studio CD Projekt Red has explained that the game was delayed in order to optimize its visuals across all formats.

Marcin Iwinski told Nerdacy that the delay will not result in content changes, but instead bug fixes and to ensure the game runs at an optimal resolution and frame rate across all systems.

“We are removing the final bugs and still running optimization in various areas. What it will result in is a smoother and more engaging experience and, yes, the game looking better across all platforms,” he explained.

“The content is locked, so no content changes are being made at this point. The scale of the open world in the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is unprecedented, so fear not–there is enough gameplay to keep you playing for weeks.”

These comments come six months after it was rumors that The Witcher 3’s resolution on Xbox One and PS4 could be noticably different. At the time, Iwinski said it was “too early” to say whether there would be a difference between the two home console versions.

Then, in early December, CD Projekt RED announced it had delayed The Witcher 3 release date from February 2015 to May. At the time, the studio explained that the postponement was necessary in order to fulfil the studio’s ambitions.

“The sheer size and complexity of The Witcher, key features of the title, have had a decisive impact on production. Now, nearing the end of our work, we see many details that need to be corrected,” the studio wrote when announcing the delay.

In October, CD Projekt Red responded to rumors that the studio was entering crunch to finish the game on time, and that its public demonstrations were overly flattering. Writing on the games forum NeoGAF, one anonymous user took issue with others praising the Witcher 3, claiming that developer CD Projekt Red has built an “overblown” impression of the game. After the anonymous poster’s legitimacy was questioned, a NeoGAF administrator claimed they had been “vetted and cleared,” suggesting these were not the words of an outsider.

The Witcher 3 release date is May 19, 2015 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Pictured below: Ciri, The Witcher 3’s new female hero.

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