The Game Awards got off to a flying start with the presentation of The Witcher 4, a title that has only just gone into production. With a long trailer, this episode confirmed that Ciri was logically taking up the torch, just when some might have imagined that CD Projekt Red would be completely departing from the chronology of the previous trilogy. The Polish studio had the opportunity to discuss some of the choices made for this fourth opus with several sites, including PC Gamer and GamesRadar, in order to justify a few details.
Who Could Be Better than Ciri, Anyway?
Introducing Ciri’s journey as a Witcher was the safest bet for CD Projekt Red, but not necessarily the one everyone was expecting. However, it was an obvious choice for the team from the outset. Tomasz Marchewka, who is in charge of the script for this episode, states:
“from the very beginning,g we knew it had to be Ciri – she’s a very complex character, and there is so much to be told about her. She’s familiar, but at the same time she’s fresh. And she’s simply a badass.” Executive producer Malgorzaia Mitrega says the character is “a worthy successor to the title of the next Witcher […] she’s open, curious, and drawn to people, yearning for connection and understanding. This opens up uncharted territory in storytelling.”
After all, Ciri was already at the heart of The Witcher 3, and was even playable for a short time in this opus, making her a natural choice for director Sebastian Kalemba :
“I remember discussions after releasing Wild Hunt, that it is a natural path for her to prove herself … that was a very natural choice for us […] There’s so much room for exploration, and because she’s such a nuanced character, the beginning of her journey gives us freedom and so many opportunities to be able to dig in and use that for good.”
Geralt Will Still Have a Role to Play
Does this mean that Geralt is completely out of the picture? Not really, since we heard his voice in the trailer, and Kelamba confirms that he will indeed be present in the game:
“He’s so important for us and for Ciri, and definitely he’s going to appear in the game. I can’t tell you more, but I think the promise is enough. But we believe that this journey, this new saga, this new trilogy is definitely for her.”
While there are a few familiar faces, CD Projekt Red wants us to understand that this is a new starting point for the series. The studio doesn’t hesitate to call the game an origin story, since even if we already know Ciri’s childhood, we’ll be following her as she takes her first steps as a Witcher:
“Geralt was so much defined already that he had his own code that he developed over years. So he knew what to choose between A, B, and C, he was really defined, grounded. Ciri, she is more on her way, defining the way she deals with the struggles around the problems, the quests, and I think that gives us a great opportunity, and also for players to be able to define her on that journey.”
You’ll have to be patient before discovering it, since The Witcher 4 isn’t due for release until 2026/2027… at the earliest.