The Witcher IV: Ciri Takes the Spotlight as the New Protagonist, CDPR Focuses on Player Agency
The Game Awards 2024 kicked off with an electrifying six-minute cinematic trailer for The Witcher IV, unveiling Ciri as the new protagonist of the franchise’s next chapter. This stunning trailer, powered by NVIDIA’s next-gen GPU, confirmed fan speculation that the torch has officially been passed from Geralt to his surrogate daughter, Cirilla.
A New Chapter, A New Witcher
Speaking to IGN, CD Projekt RED developers elaborated on the shift from Geralt to Ciri as the lead. Franchise and lore designer Cian Maher emphasized Ciri's significance:
"‘The Witcher’ as a title refers to both Geralt and Ciri and always has. I think she's arguably more important to the plot than Geralt himself is."
While the team remained tight-lipped about Geralt's potential role in The Witcher IV, the new story focuses on Ciri’s journey as a budding Witcher. Game Director Sebastian Kalemba explained how this choice opens new opportunities for storytelling and gameplay:
"Ciri is about to form her own codex on her own terms. The way she deals with monsters, quests, and adventures will reflect her unique path. We want to put player agency at the center, giving players the tools to define their experience narratively and gameplay-wise."
Building on Past Lessons
Kalemba also noted that The Witcher IV will draw inspiration from Cyberpunk 2077’s varied gameplay mechanics to improve upon The Witcher 3. The new game will prioritize customization, freedom of playstyle, and dynamic world exploration:
"Cyberpunk 2077 allowed more freedom in creating character builds and tackling encounters your way. This is something we definitely want to bring into The Witcher IV, aligning gameplay variety with exploration and narrative consequences."
CDPR revealed that the TGA trailer underwent extensive revisions to ensure that every frame was packed with subtle nods for fans to uncover. While the studio didn’t provide a release window, early estimations suggest a potential launch between late 2026 and early 2027.
Are you excited to step into Ciri’s boots in The Witcher IV? What do you hope to see in terms of gameplay, story, or character development? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
