CD Projekt Red confirmed that The Witcher 4 is in full production and will not launch in 2026, while revealing the studio plans to start a new Witcher trilogy and accelerate its release cadence compared with past entries.
Release schedule and studio plans
The studio has officially ruled out a 2026 release window. CEO Michał Nowakowski said the project has entered full production and is progressing steadily. He also announced that this title will begin a new three-game saga.
Unlike The Witcher 3, which took about three and a half years to complete, CD Projekt Red’s current target is to deliver all three new Witcher games within six years. To meet that ambitious timetable, the developer expanded its teams and distributed development resources, including contributions alongside Cyberpunk 2’s production.
Ciri becomes the series’ playable lead
The cinematic trailer shown at The Game Awards 2024 officially revealed that players will no longer control Geralt of Rivia in the mainline series; instead, Ciri—Geralt’s adoptive daughter and one of the universe’s most powerful characters—will be the playable protagonist.
The casting of Ciri as the lead has divided portions of the community, but the studio framed the decision as a natural progression tied to events and expansions from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Director Sebastian Kalemba told PC Gamer that the choice evolved organically from the narrative groundwork already laid in previous entries.
Technical showcase: Unreal Engine 5 demo
At Unreal Fest 2025, CD Projekt Red presented a tech demo built on Unreal Engine 5 that emphasized a substantial processing and visual leap. The demo focused on the kingdom of Kovir, highlighting dense forests, expansive vistas and a richly detailed horizon.
To render large-scale foliage without sacrificing performance, the studio developed an optimized system for vegetation rendering. The demo aimed to balance high fidelity with stable runtime behavior.
Vagrest preview and performance targets
The presentation also included a short glimpse of Vagrest, a port city centered on commerce and fishing. The environment was shown as dynamic, with busy markets and non-playable characters reacting in real time to player activity.
CD Projekt Red demonstrated these scenes running at a stable 60 FPS with ray tracing enabled, indicating the studio’s focus on combining visual richness with consistent frame rates.
Gameplay elements revealed behind the scenes
The developer cautioned that the tech demo is not representative of final gameplay; no in-game footage or user-interface screenshots have been released.
Still, some gameplay details have emerged from developer conversations. On the AnsweRED Podcast, creators said Ciri will be able to cast spells while moving during combat. CEO Michał Nowakowski also promised players can expect new mechanics and gameplay elements not previously seen in the franchise.
