CD Projekt Red has almost certainly confirmed that the next game it is working on will be a new Witcher title, though it has not yet confirmed the title The Witcher 4. However, don’t hold your breath for it to arrive anytime soon, as the developer is already very busy with the Witcher 3 PS5 and Xbox Series X upgrades, as well as working on DLC and patches for Cyberpunk 2077.
However, the studio has stated that it has a “relatively clear concept” for the next game and plans to release another AAA title by 2021. If the Cyberpunk 2077 performance drama hasn’t slowed things down, a new Witcher game could be on the way soon.
That doesn’t mean you should expect more Geralt, or even a game called The Witcher 4 – the studio has stated that the original trilogy stands on its own – but there are plenty of stories to explore in The Witcher universe.
For the time being, we’ll have to content ourselves with binge-watching the Netflix series and reading Dandelion fan fiction, but here’s everything we know so far about the next installment of one of the best RPGs.
What are the Developers of Witcher 4 Saying?
Oh, well, well. What else do we know about CD Projekt Red’s projects? Is this a new Witcher game? In particular, The Witcher 4? Oh my god, yes. CD Projekt Red CEO Adam Kiciski has already basically confirmed that there will be another Witcher game, it just won’t be called The Witcher 4, so the next game is likely only a few years away.
“Because the first three ‘Witchers’ were, by definition, a trilogy, we couldn’t call the next game ‘The Witcher 4’.” This does not, of course, imply that we will leave The Witcher’s world,” said Kiciski in an interview with Bankier.
“The Witcher is one of two franchises on which the company’s future activities will be built,” he adds. “I’m afraid I can’t reveal anything more today.”
With The Witcher 3, CD Projekt Red created a glorious, massive, and completely explorable fantasy world that told stories that players will be talking about for years to come, including unicorn sex. It catapulted the Witcher series to new heights of success, elevating its scarred, white-haired hero Geralt to celebrity status.
We’re all fans of the way CD Projekt Red handles DLC. With the 10-hour expansion, Hearts of Stone, in October 2015, and the beefier second expansion, Blood and Wine, in May 2016, The Witcher 3 (one of the best RPG games of all time) gave us 16 free downloadable content packages. Once you’ve immersed yourself in The Witcher 3’s world, it’s all too easy to stay there.
The latest gossip is direct from CD Projekt Red president Adam Kiciński, who said in March 2020 to a group of journalists (via Eurogamer Poland/PSU) that a “relatively clear concept” has already been staked down for the next entry in the Witcher series, but that full production would kick off “immediately” after Cyberpunk 2077 hits the shelves.
Anything Else?
This comes on top of official CD Projekt Red forum moderator Donata Popawska recently confirming that “as far as the CD Projekt Capital Group’s strategy for 2016-2021 is concerned, its plans to release the second AAA game by 2021 remain unchanged.”
We are currently focused on the production and promotion of Cyberpunk 2077, so we will refrain from commenting on future projects.” That smells like The Witcher 4, and it’s before 2021.
While developer CD Projekt Red hasn’t explicitly confirmed the existence of a Witcher 4, it hasn’t been completely ruled out. As we’ve seen, the team isn’t afraid to discuss the possibility of another Witcher game, and things are heating up after CD Projekt – the parent company of developer CD Projekt Red – signed a deal with Witcher books author Andrzej Sapkowski to “further solidify their relationship.”
“We’ve always admired Mr. Andrzej Sapkowski’s works – he’s been a great inspiration for the team here at CD Projekt Red,” says Adam Kiciski, President and Joint CEO of CD Projekt. “I believe today marks a turning point in our ongoing relationship.”
However, talking about a new Witcher game isn’t anything new. Marcin Iwinski, co-founder of CD Projekt Red, stated in an interview with Eurogamer in May 2016 that the team “didn’t have anything planned” for the next Witcher game.
“As we previously stated, never say never, [but] right now it’s Blood and Wine.” This is the final chapter. “Blood and Wine is [the] final chapter, and there will be no Witcher any time soon – if ever.”
So What Now?
However, CD Projekt Red CEO Adam Kicinski seemed more certain in December 2015 that this is a series that the developer would be reluctant to abandon.
“It’s too early to discuss it, but we’re not forgetting about this brand.” “It wouldn’t be fair to the fans,” Kicinski told Polish television station TVN24 BiS. “We’ve been working within this universe for over a dozen years, and I don’t think it’s going to end.”
But fast forward to March 2017, and CD Projekt Red’s investor call on The Witcher 4 – or, at the very least, another Witcher game – was far more illuminating.
“The Witcher was designed as a trilogy, and a trilogy cannot have a fourth part, can it?” Marcin Iwinski explained. “We adore this world. We put 15 years of our lives and a lot of money into it. So, at some point, we’ll consider [creating a new Witcher game].
But please think of us as rational people; we have strange ideas from time to time, but our thinking is generally very rational. We have complete control over The Witcher games. They are entirely ours. We’ve spent a lot of money promoting it, and it’s a very strong brand.”
Iwinski went on to say that The Witcher series “deserves some rest,” or at the very least, a change in team. “The team has been working on swords, castles, and medieval Slavic monsters for the past ten years.” So I believe it is time for some guns, androids, and ammo.”
The team is currently working on Cyberpunk 2077, which is set to be released sometime after 2017. However, CD Projekt Red is also working on another game that will be released between 2017 and 2021. That’s mysteriously described as a AAA RPG title, but according to Iwinski, while Witcher perfectly fits that description, you shouldn’t get your hopes up.
“Because we are a publicly traded company, we are unable to comment on that [game], but I can assure you that we are not working on another Witcher,” he said. Okay, then.
Will there be a Witcher 4?
If you play The Witcher 3 all the way through, you’ll notice that it does a good job of wrapping up the series. The base game has over 40 different ending variations, but no matter what happens, Geralt’s story is over.
Whether you get the good ending or the bad one where Ciri snuffs it, Geralt’s story ends with him riding off into the sunset, either destined to roam the land as a Witcher until his last days, retiring to Kovir with Triss, or going off with Yennefer to a place away from the politics and noise.
“I believe that good stories must have an ending,” said Jakub Szamaek, Senior Writer, in an interview with IGN in 2015. “You can’t keep them going indefinitely, and we felt that Geralt has had such an amazing adventure, and his saga is already so long and complex, that this seemed like a good point to consider an appropriate ending for the story.”
Geralt will spend the rest of his days in retirement, regardless of the ending. He’s already an older man in The Witcher 3, so he can’t be the face of a potential Witcher 4. He just doesn’t have the stamina. And, of course, the same can be said for Ciri, primarily because if you lose her at the end of The Witcher 3, it won’t make much sense for those gamers to have her as the protagonist for the next game.
That is something that the developers have also supported. During a tech demo in 2013, executive producer John Mamais told Polygon that The Witcher 3 was Geralt’s final story, but that he wouldn’t mind making a cameo or two in the future.
“We’re not going to kill the world and walk away from it,” Mamias said, “but we will definitely want to make this game the finale in a big way.” “We might even include Geralt in future games. All we need to do now is talk about it and figure out what we’re going to do next.”
Of course, the series has plenty of side characters, NPCs, and other faces who could take on the mantle of Witcher hero, but the ending of The Witcher 3 and its expansions leaves no clear path for the next game to take.
The Bottom Line
If you play The Witcher 3 all the way through, you’ll notice that it does a good job of wrapping up the series. The base game has over 40 different ending variations, but no matter what happens, Geralt’s story is over.
Whether you get the good ending or the bad one where Ciri snuffs it, Geralt’s story ends with him riding off into the sunset, either destined to roam the land as a Witcher until his last days, retiring to Kovir with Triss, or going off with Yennefer to a place away from the politics and noise.
“I believe that good stories must have an ending,” said Jakub Szamaek, Senior Writer, in an interview with IGN in 2015. “You can’t keep them going indefinitely, and we felt that Geralt has had such an amazing adventure, and his saga is already so long and complex, that this seemed like a good point to consider an appropriate ending for the story.”
Geralt will spend the rest of his days in retirement, regardless of the ending. He’s already an older man in The Witcher 3, so he can’t be the face of a potential Witcher 4. He just doesn’t have the stamina. And, of course, the same can be said for Ciri, primarily because if you lose her at the end of The Witcher 3, it won’t make much sense for those gamers to have her as the protagonist for the next game.
That is something that the developers have also supported. During a tech demo in 2013, executive producer John Mamais told Polygon that The Witcher 3 was Geralt’s final story, but that he wouldn’t mind making a cameo or two in the future.
“We’re not going to kill the world and walk away from it,” Mamias said, “but we will definitely want to make this game the finale in a big way.” “We might even include Geralt in future games. All we need to do now is talk about it and figure out what we’re going to do next.”
Of course, the series has plenty of side characters, NPCs, and other faces who could take on the mantle of Witcher hero, but the ending of The Witcher 3 and its expansions leaves no clear path for the next game to take.
Well, that’s all we know about Witcher 4 release and this is all the information we have so far. If you liked this, don’t forget to check out our gaming, troubleshooting, and computing guides.
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