CD Projekt Red unveiled The Witcher 4 at The Game Awards 2024 with a six-minute trailer that places Ciri at the center of a new single-player, open-world RPG and launches a planned new trilogy of three games to be released over six years.
Setting and protagonist
The trailer suggests the story unfolds after the events of the “Blood and Wine” DLC for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, taking place in the Far North. Ciri appears as the protagonist and is shown using magical abilities alongside a silver sword to defeat a monster that demanded human sacrifices.
Visual cues in the trailer — including catlike eyes and the use of a silver sword — imply Ciri may have completed the Trial of the Grasses and adopted witcher-like training and powers. Her necklace’s medal differs from the one she previously used, hinting at a possible new witcher school that trained her.
Geralt’s role
Actor Doug Cockle, who has voiced Geralt of Rivia, said Geralt will appear in the new game but in a reduced role. The witcher’s voice is audible at the end of the trailer, confirming his presence without indicating a primary part in the story.
Map size and gameplay changes
Developers indicated the new title will feature a map comparable in size to The Witcher 3 and will include the same number of quests. Despite similar scope, the game introduces new gameplay elements and mechanics, according to details revealed alongside the trailer.
Gwent returns
The card game Gwent will be incorporated into The Witcher 4. Executive producer Gosia Mitrega and director Sebastian Kalemba told Easy Allies after The Game Awards 2024 that Gwent will be part of the upcoming title’s experience.
Release timeframe
No release date has been announced. The studio noted that The Witcher 4 only entered “full-scale production” in November 2024, making a release by 2026 unlikely. For context, The Witcher 3 began development in late 2011 and launched in 2015.
Visuals and platform availability
The reveal trailer was pre-rendered on an unreleased Nvidia GeForce RTX GPU using in-game models and assets, which suggests the final game will target a high level of visual fidelity that may be challenging for current-generation consoles.
Producers expressed caution about console compatibility but stated an intention to support all major platforms, including Xbox, PlayStation and PC.
Franchise catalogue
The Witcher main series comprises three entries: The Witcher (2007), The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (2011) and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015). The franchise also includes two spin-offs released in 2018 — Gwent: The Witcher Card Game and Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales — as well as the 2014 RPG The Witcher Adventure Game.
