Whether you’ve slayed your way through the Wild Hunt five times over or you just know Geralt from that TV show on Netflix, it’s time to get hyped because The Witcher 4 (yes, that’s what we’re calling it for now) is officially happening. CD Projekt Red has confirmed it’s in the works, and while Geralt’s retirement plan might be kicking in, there’s a whole new saga brewing in the Continent.
In this rundown, I’m breaking down everything we know so far: confirmed details, juicy leaks, wild speculation, and what it could all mean for the next chapter. No fluff, no nonsense, just the good stuff. Let’s dive in.
The Story
Now, when it comes to the story of The Witcher 4, it’s not a direct adaptation of the books. Like the previous games, it’ll likely draw from the lore and world that Andrzej Sapkowski created, but CDPR makes its own original storylines within that universe.
However, from what I gathered through various sources, there are a few things that can be said with certainty.
Ciri will be the main protagonist of the game and she is a witcher. A move that kinda makes sense. By undergoing trials, she renders herself useless to everyone who was after her. Did she come to the same conclusion or she simply did it to be like Geralt? It’s hard to tell. I suppose there’ll be a period in the game (possibly at the start) where they go through that part of her life.
Another thing that I believe is that Ciri won’t be traditionally a Wticher for hire rather than more of a Witcher that’s trying to do what’s morally right. Which could end in two ways: she either forges her own path or she comes to harsh realization and ends up the same as Geralt.
Speaking of Geralt, even though he isn’t the main character anymore, I strongly believe that he’ll make some sort of appearance in the game. It might be as a flashback, side mission or just as an advisor but he will be there, trust me on that.
As for the rest of the story, it still remains a mystery but as we close to the release date, I’m certain that we’ll get even more details.
Gameplay
Considering that we only saw a cinematic trailer for the game, we can’t know for sure what the gameplay is going to look like. So for my and your sake, I’ll keep it brief (as much as I can).
Since Ciri is the witcher now, we can say for sure we’ll see the usage of potions and signs. Besides that, there will be some sort of sword play but also I suspect that there’ll be new moves she’ll have at disposal.
Parry-counters are going to be improved, environmental takedowns, and a revamped skill system.
Choices in Witcher 4 will hit harder. Not just “who lives, who dies”. There will be more long-game payoff for decisions you made 10 hours ago. You’ll probably still sit in silence after a major quest wondering if you’re the hero or just another guy making things worse.
They’ve gone full open world again, of course. But this time, the world will react to you way more, NPCs don’t just throw shade from the sidewalk, they’ll actually remember you torching their village “accidentally” during that Griffin hunt. And yes, the forests are still full of things that want to eat you for breakfast.
And Gwent will make its return.
I think they intend to take everything that worked with the previous part and build on that. If they go that route, it’s a recipe for a really great RPG.
Graphics
When it comes to the graphics of The Witcher 4, I strongly believe that they’re going to push to new limits. The looks of the game are going to set new standards of how AAA games should look like. They’ve already done that with Cyberpunk once and this time I believe they intend to take it even further.
Does that mean we’ll have another fiasco at the launch? Probably not, I think they’ve learned from their mistakes and I don’t think they intend to make them twice. Even if they did, they are capable of fixing them fast. But again, I don’t think that scenario will happen. Which ultimately leads to them being very thorough and possible delays until they’re completely satisfied with everything.
I’m going to say something that might trigger you, so feel free to skip the next paragraph.
If it were any other game, I would say “Take your time and make it nice” but in this case and only this case, I’m willing to compromise if it means I get to play it way earlier. I would play it in whatever state it is.
Conclusion
Even though we can’t tell with a certainty when The Witcher 4 will be out, one thing remains a fact. We’re going to need new PC’s, so better start saving money for it. As for other things, we’ll see. I’ll make sure to keep all information updated. And as for the official review, let’s hope I don’t get carried away and manage to do it after the first playthrough.
