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CD Projekt Red took everyone by surprise at The Game Awards 2024 by revealing The Witcher 4, starring Ciri as the protagonist instead of Geralt. Revealed alongside Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic and a new Elden Ring, the game immediately met the ire of certain crowds as Ciri was shown front and center.
In a recent interview, game director Sebastian Kalemba and narrative director Philipp Weber explained that the team is sticking to the canon of the books, and the storylines of their prior games. For players who actually completed The Witcher 3, bringing in Ciri as the main protagonist was the obvious choice, although the team understands that hardcore Geralt heads may be disappointed.
The Witcher 4 devs aren’t “making stuff up”
Speaking to Eurogamer, Weber explained that the team is “beholden to the lore” of both Andrzej Sapkowski’s books and the last three games in the series. With Sapkowski claiming Ciri is a full-fledged Witcher and the text supporting that, it was the right move for The Witcher 4.
“We’re not suddenly making up stuff just because we want to. We really want to take these things seriously,” the narrative director explained.
While Weber understands that many gamers want to play as Geralt again, and he would “die happy” making Geralt games until the day he dies, it was a chance to try something new.
“It’s also just really exciting to see all the opportunities that Ciri brings us, both with her character, and also by just virtue of who she is, what we can do with her in terms of the gameplay as well,” the narrative director explained. “So I think the best answer for us, for those people that really are worried right now, is basically to show them, when we are ready, that we really do this well and with care. And I think – I hope – we can then convince them with the game itself. Because I think actions speak louder than words.”
Kalemba explained that gamers who actually played The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt already knew this was coming. Serving as the second protagonist in the game, Ciri had her own gameplay styles that Geralt couldn’t use, and giving her the main role in the sequel gives CDPR a chance to expand upon them.
“We’ve started with the second protagonist already in The Wild Hunt. And so there was already a tease. So we really [are] all about making sure such calls are very educated calls,” they said. “And we really believe, as Philip already said, that we also have so much of a great story to tell with Ciri, and she deserves that.”
The Witcher 4 does not currently have a release date, although it’s certainly not expected to come out in 2025.
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