At The Game Awards in 2024, a new trailer dropped for the next Witcher game, and everyone knew The Witcher 4 was coming, but there was a twist: instead of Geralt, we saw Ciri taking the lead.
Gamers rushed online to voice their feelings. CDPR isn’t too worried about complaints that Ciri’s the star and fully dressed, but they do have a message for true fans missing Geralt.
https://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-witcher-iv-official-cinematic-reveal-trailer-breakdown/2300-6465564/
Phillip Weber, the narrative director, shared in an interview that they knew some folks might find this change tricky. “I really loved playing as Geralt,” he said. The team understands if people are concerned about playing as Ciri instead.
In The Witcher 3, players switched between Geralt and Ciri, though Geralt was the main guy. This time, Ciri’s story is front and center. We sometimes feel attached to characters like old friends; change can be hard.
Weber mentioned that Ciri’s role as a main character was a natural step, given her presence in the books and previous games. This evolution also respects Geralt’s journey’s end in The Witcher 3 and Blood and Wine.
The choice to spotlight Ciri wasn’t made on a whim. Weber emphasized, “We aim to show that with Ciri, we can do a lot of interesting things.”
While CDPR hasn’t shared when The Witcher 4 will release or which platforms it will be on, we know their past games have launched on both consoles and PCs. Keep an eye out for more updates on The Witcher’s future.
