The Witcher 4 could be the game that revives CD Project Red’s reputation, but fans will likely wait for some time to come to find out.
CD Project Red has announced a new Witcher game, but details remain scarce. A social media post from the Polish developer has stoked the flames for a fourth Witcher game, but it could be something entirely different from the Witcher games we’ve seen to date. Here’s what we know about The Witcher 4, from an estimated release date to whether the famous White Wolf will make a return.
An exact release date for The Witcher 4 has not been announced, but early signs point to a few years’ wait before the game comes out.
Based on what little information we have, The Witcher 4 will probably come out in either 2024 or 2025. CD Projekt Red always takes its time to create its RPG titles, and the disastrous launch of Cyberpunk 2077 should lead CDPR to err on the side of caution.
Then again, if this isn’t a mainline Witcher game, it could come out as early as 2023. Exact details on what the new Witcher saga is are scarce, and developers have even tried to check fans’ expectations.
A vague announcement regarding The Witcher was enough to get fans convinced of a fourth mainline game, but that may not be what the new Witcher game turns out to be.
Shortly after the initial announcement, CD Projekt Red global PR director Radek Grabowski noted that this was not a formal announcement of The Witcher 4 and that it only pointed to a new saga in the same world. For all that fans know, the mysterious announcement could be a reference to a Thronebreaker 2 or a Battle Arena MOBA reboot.
Warning: The following section contains major story spoilers for The Witcher 3 and The Witcher book series.
Based on multiple endings of The Witcher 3 and Geralt’s story in the books, The Witcher 4 will most likely not feature Geralt as the main character.
At the end of The Witcher 3, Geralt’s adopted daughter Ciri either becomes a female witcher, assumes the throne of Nilfgaard, or dies. Some of these endings also feature the death of Geralt. The first ending in which Ciri becomes a witcher is the most likely canon ending, though Geralt’s death may or may not have happened in the canon of the games.
This is further supported by the School of the Cat witcher medallion in the announcement. Geralt is a member of the School of the Wolf while Ciri belongs to the School of the Cat. Ciri is trained in the wolf style of witching, but won her medallion by killing a bounty hunter who had previously killed multiple witchers.
In the books, Geralt eventually dies shortly after marrying Yennefer, though an appearance in The Witcher 4 wouldn’t be the first time Geralt returns from the dead.
While Geralt will probably be in The Witcher 4 in some capacity, Ciri is likely to become the new main character in this new Witcher saga. She has similar powers and abilities compared to Geralt, and her relative inexperience can quickly be remedied over the course of a new trilogy. As for Geralt, Ciri could either work alongside him or simply remember Geralt fondly through flashbacks as both a father and teacher.
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