CD Projekt RedThe Witcher 4 is officially on the way, and here’s everything we know about the next entry in the beloved fantasy RPG franchise so far.
The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt is often considered one of the best games of all time, so its sequel comes highly anticipated. It was officially revealed back in 2024, and we’ve started to learn more and more about it in the months since.
It will be the beginning of a new trilogy, and it’s set to bring a lot of change, including Geralt taking a backseat as the main protagonist.
Although its release is still some way off, we’ve now got our first look at actual gameplay, as well as where the long-awaited follow-up takes place.
Does The Witcher 4 have a release date?
The Witcher 4 releases in 2027 at the earliest. We don’t know exactly when, but it won’t be released before the end of 2026.
CD Projekt REDThis was confirmed in CD Projekt’s FY 2024 earnings conference on March 25, 2025, where they said, “Even though we do not plan to release The Witcher 4 by the end of 2026, we are still driven by this financial goal.”
Chief Financial Officer Piotr Nielubowicz continued, “All we could share now to give more visibility to investors is that the game will not be launched within the time frame of the first target for the incentive program, which ends December 31, 2026.”
So, even though we know it won’t be released before 2027, that doesn’t mean 2027 is a guarantee. It could be 2028 or later, likely arriving on the PlayStation 6 and the next Xbox.
First gameplay
As mentioned earlier, the new Witcher is being made from the ground up on Unreal Engine 5, which was revealed in a press release in March 2022. Not only that, but the developer stressed that they will be working closely with Epic Games to make sure the engine is optimized for their open-world release.
During the State of Unreal 2025 stream on June 3, CD Projekt showed off a tech demo of The Witcher 4 that gave us a closer look at the technology being used to create the sequel. Not only did it feature a look at the world and Ciri’s character designer, but it also showed a bustling port town full of NPCs and animals.
The demo also showed Ciri interacting with certain characters as part of a questline, where the devs explained they wanted to “close the gap” between main and side characters in terms of detail.
This was all captured using a PS5 and was running at 60 FPS. However, it’s worth noting that this is a tech demo designed specially to show off Unreal Engine 5, so it may look slightly different when it finally releases.
Reveal trailer
The first official trailer for The Witcher 4 was shared at the 2024 Game Awards.
It’s a cinematic trailer confirming that Ciri will take center stage as the main playable character in the RPG. However, we hear a brief snippet of Geralt’s voice at the end. You can check out the full trailer below:
What is The Witcher 4 about?
Ciri will be the playable protagonist in The Witcher 4, as revealed by the cinematic trailer from the Game Awards.
The official description reads, “At the start of a new saga, players take on the role of Ciri, a professional monster slayer, and embark on a journey through a brutal dark-fantasy world. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, it aims to be the most immersive and ambitious open-world Witcher game to date.”
It picks up several years after The Witcher 3’s ending, and the biggest twist is that Ciri is now a fully-fledged witcher. She’s gone through and survived the Trial of Grasses, the brutal mutations that give witchers their superhuman attributes, but we don’t know how that came to be.
“That was a huge thing for us, to make that call [to mutate Ciri], not only for her, but for the game,” explained executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga in an interview with IGN.
“But then it’s so important and still leaves so much space for imagination, like when it happened, how it happened,” she continued. “It’s just a tease showing something, but you don’t know where you will experience it and how in the game. I think it’s a huge change and I hope people did not expect it.”
CD Projekt RedIn a 2020 interview with VG247, lead writer Jakub Szamalek teased a future game starring the ashen-haired witcher: “I regret we didn’t get to explore Ciri’s past a bit more, but maybe it’s something we’ll get to get back to in the future.”
The first promotional image also featured the School of the Lynx medallion covered in snow instead of Geralt’s iconic Witcher medallion, and Ciri is wearing it in the cinematic reveal trailer. The developers have now confirmed that the medallion is indeed a Lynx, which implies the School of the Lynx will factor into the story somewhat.
While exciting, this is also surprising, as the School of the Lynx technically originated in unofficial Witcher stories rather than something either CD Projekt or author Andrzej Sapkowski came up with.
Setting
The Witcher 4 gameplay reveal also confirmed that the game will take place in Kovir and Poviss, at least partially. After showing off the impressive detail, the demo ended with a first look at Lan Exeter, a major port city found in the region.
This is a city that hasn’t been seen in any game to date, but does appear in the books. However, it is mentioned occasionally throughout The Witcher 3 and its DLC.
Of course, the game is likely to have a sprawling map that spans multiple regions, so this could be just one area that we’ll be able to visit.
Cast
The only confirmed members of the cast are Ciara Berkely as Ciri and Doug Cockle as Geralt. Berkely replaces Joe Wyatt as Ciri’s actor.
In a statement to TheGamer, CDPR said: “Ciara Berkeley was cast as Ciri for The Witcher IV Cinematic Reveal Trailer. Ciara is a talented actress who impressed us with her enthusiasm and vocal acting skills, and in this trailer, we believe she truly brought Ciri to life in a way that is both faithful to the character and exciting for fans of the series.”
They also clarified that she plays Ciri in the full game, not just in the cinematic reveal trailer. Jagoda Jasnowska will also play Ciri in the Polish version.
Doug Cockle said in an August 2024 Fall Damage video (timestamp: 7:21) that Geralt returns in The Witcher 4, but not as the main character. He walked back on that statement after CDPR pulled him up for it but then told PC Gamer that Geralt will be in the new game, but he “just can’t say exactly in what way or how much.”
A new Witcher saga
The Witcher 4 won’t be a standalone game, it’s going to be part of a “new saga.”
On March 24, CD Projekt said, “We’re happy to announce that the next installment in The Witcher series of video games is currently in development, kicking off a new saga for the franchise.”
It was also announced that Sebastian Kalemba, the animation director for Cyberpunk 2077, has been appointed as the game director for the new saga. Upon the news being shared, Kalemba stated on Twitter:
“I believe nothing is impossible and raising the bar, telling emotional stories & creating worlds is what we’re here for. I’m proud to be part of CDPR and work with such a talented and passionate team.”
The Witcher 4 size revealed
The Witcher 4 will approach or even match the expansive nature of The Witcher 3, as confirmed by game director Sebastian Kalemba on Skill Up’s Friends Per Second (timestamp: 1:13:39) podcast.
Kalemba revealed that The Witcher 4 is “definitely more or less the same when it comes to the size” as The Witcher 3.
While it’s still early in the game’s development cycle, the devs have reiterated a focus on quality rather than quantity. So, even if The Witcher 4 isn’t much bigger than the previous game’s total size, players can expect the same level of care when it comes to quests and storylines.
What platforms could The Witcher 4 be on?
Given the scarce details, it’s currently impossible to know what platforms the next Witcher trilogy will be on. Unless it ends up being a next-gen-only title, it will likely land on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC at the very least.
Speaking of platforms, the official Witcher Twitter account confirmed the game would not be exclusive to the Epic Games Store despite its Unreal Engine 5 deal. “We are not planning on making the game exclusive to one storefront,” a social media rep wrote in response to a fan.
More Witcher games: Project Canis Majoris & Sirius
CD Projekt Red has revealed that two other Witcher games are in development, Cabus Majoris and Sirius, both of which are separate from the Polaris Trilogy. The first of these is called Canis Majoris and will be “a full-fledged Witcher game,” developed by an external studio headed by experienced developers who have worked on past Witcher games.
The next is codenamed Sirius and will also be set in The Witcher universe and created with support from CDPR. It will offer multiplayer gameplay on top of a single-player experience – including a campaign with quests and a story.
The announcement means that there are now 5 Witcher games in development, including the Polaris trilogy and projects Canis Majoris and Sirius.
So, that’s everything we know so far about The Witcher 4. You can also check out everything we know about the next Netflix season with Liam Hemsworth and all of the biggest games releasing in 2025.
