Fans eager for The Witcher 4 will need to exercise patience, as CD Projekt has confirmed that the game won't be released before 2027. This was revealed during a financial call where the company discussed its ambitious financial goals, stating, "Even though we do not plan to release The Witcher 4 by the end of 2026, we are still driven by this financial goal. And although it’s very ambitious, we stand a chance of achieving it within the given timeframe." This timeline dismisses any hopes for a 2025 release and sets the earliest possible launch for 2027, though delays could push it further into 2028, a common occurrence in the unpredictable world of video game development.
With a release window of 2027 or beyond, The Witcher 4 is poised to target the next generation of gaming consoles. Sony is likely already planning for the PlayStation 6, and Microsoft is rumored to be aiming for a 2027 release of its Xbox Series X successor, alongside an Xbox handheld. Whether The Witcher 4 will be a cross-gen title, similar to Cyberpunk 2077 which launched on both current and last-gen consoles, remains to be seen. The possibility of a version for the Nintendo Switch 2, while unlikely, cannot be entirely ruled out, given that The Witcher 3 eventually made its way to the original Switch.
The Witcher 4 marks the beginning of a new trilogy set after the events of The Witcher 3, with Ciri taking the spotlight as the protagonist instead of Geralt. In an exclusive interview with IGN ahead of The Witcher 4's reveal, executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga explained the choice of Ciri as the lead, stating, "It was always about her, starting from Saga when you read it in the books. She's an amazing, layered character. And of course, as a protagonist we said goodbye to Geralt previously. So this is a continuation. I guess for all of us it’s like she was meant to be. That was always her."
Support for this shift in protagonist came from Geralt's voice actor, Doug Cockle, who in January, during an interview with IGN about Netflix's upcoming animated film, The Witcher: Sirens of The Deep, expressed excitement about the change, saying, "I'm really excited. I think it's a really good move. I mean, I always thought that continuing the Saga, but shifting to Ciri would be a really, really interesting move for all kinds of reasons, but mostly because of things that happen in the books, which I don't want to give away because people, I want people to go read. So yeah, I think it's really exciting. I can't wait. I can't wait to see what they've done."
Further clarification came in February from the director of The Witcher 4, addressing concerns about Ciri's in-game model after a new video led some to believe her appearance had changed.
The Witcher IV Game Awards Trailer Screenshots
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For more insights into The Witcher 4, IGN offers exclusive content including a trailer breakdown and an interview with CD Projekt, where the developer discusses strategies to avoid a repeat of the launch issues experienced with Cyberpunk 2077.
