What We Want From The Witcher 4
The Witcher is thirteen years old, can you believe it? For thirteen years we’ve been slashing monsters and taking coin (and playing as Geralt), and have enjoyed further games from CD Projekt Red such as the sequels The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings in 2011 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in 2015, as well as DLC content.
As we’ve had since 2007 to get to grips with Geralt of Rivia and all his trials and tribulations, why not look to the future, and discuss what The Witcher 4 could bring to the storied table of games.
Who will be the main character in The Witcher 4?
Like it or not, we won’t be playing with the platinum-haired Geralt in The Witcher 4. Amongst the dozens of endings The Witcher 3 will give the player based on how you played the game, there are a few characters who could take the helm, and take over as the protagonist.
One of these is, of course, Ciri. Geralt’s pseudo-daughter and mentee Ciri is a fan-favourite character, and without spoiling Wild Hunt for those who haven’t played the iconic title, the young Witcher could certainly take over the spot for main character with ease.
Another possibility is an entirely new Witcher, and guiding them through the Trial of the Grasses, the dangerous and difficult process of becoming a Witcher.
Click to enlargeWhen is The Witcher 4 release date?
While there isn’t any evidence to suggest The Witcher 4 is even planned, there have been hints here and there. While CD Projekt are hard at work developing (and delaying) Cyberpunk 2077, there isn’t room to create another AAA title at this time. However, CD Projekt co-founder Marcin Iwinski was quoted as saying “The Witcher is always in our minds”, so take from that what you will.
Recently, news sprang out of nowhere in an interview with CD CEO Adam Kiciński, who revealed in an interview with Bankier that “The first three 'Witchers' were by definition a trilogy, so we simply could not name the next game 'The Witcher 4'. This does not mean, of course, that we will leave the world of The Witcher”.
Kiciński also went on to say that "The Witcher is one of two franchises on which to build the future activities of the company”, which all but confirms that The Witcher series is not dead.
CD Projekt RED’s own forum moderators have also been adding fuel to the fire, as in 2019, mod Donata Popławska revealed in a post that “As far as the strategy of the CD Projekt Capital Group for 2016-2021 is concerned, its plans to release the second AAA game by 2021 remain unchanged. We are currently focusing on the production and promotion of Cyberpunk 2077, so we do not want to comment on further projects."
Judging by the timeline of the first three instalments, a new Witcher game could be in our hands (and on next-gen consoles) by 2025.
Will the Witcher 3 storyline continue?
As the trilogy has ended, who’s to say if any of the events of Wild Hunt will permeate into a new title, but fans would certainly be expecting throwback characters to appear, as well as battles with nostalgic creatures such as Griffins.
There could, however, be space for a new title that is a prequel to the trilogy, and takes us further back in time than ever before.
The Witcher isn’t over, and the White Wolf’s legacy will continue.
Images via CD Projekt RED