The 2024 Game Awards took place last night, bringing with it plenty of exciting updates.
The ceremony kicked off with the official reveal trailer for The Witcher 4, the next installment in the Witcher franchise, marking the beginning of a new saga for the studio. The previous game, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, was released nine years ago and received widespread acclaim, often hailed as one of the greatest role-playing games (RPGs) ever created.
Find out more below.
When Is ‘The Witcher 4’ Release Date?
CD Projekt RED has yet to confirm any launch details for its new open-world RPG, so there is no official release date. Since the game is still in production, a launch in 2025 or even 2026 seems unlikely.
According to Reuters, this delay is partly due to the “troubled release” of CD Projekt RED’s high-profile game Cyberpunk 2077 in 2020, which impacted the studio’s timeline and approach to future releases.
What’s the Storyline of ‘The Witcher 4’?
The storyline of the upcoming Witcher 4 is centered around Ciri, the adopted daughter of Geralt of Rivia, the long-time protagonist of the series. In the trailer, Ciri is shown using her magical powers to protect a village from a marauding beast.
Sebastian Kalemba, game director at CD Projekt RED, said, “For the longest time we knew that we wanted Ciri to be the protagonist of The Witcher 4; it just felt natural to us and we believe that Ciri deserves it. In this game we want to explore what it means to truly become a witcher by following Ciri on her Path. This trailer offers a taste of that, and just how dark and grounded the world of The Witcher can be.”
Here’s how CD Projekt Red explains it:
In the nearly six-minute trailer, viewers were introduced to Ciri, the adopted daughter of Geralt of Rivia, as she takes on a witcher contract in a remote village that has been terrorized for generations by a fearsome monster demanding human sacrifices. Framed as a short, self-contained Witcher story, the trailer showcases Ciri’s new abilities and tools, including a chain and advanced magic powers.
At the heart of the trailer is Ciri’s perspective as an outsider to the village. As the villagers say goodbye to one of their own — a young girl they are preparing for a traditional ritual sacrifice — Ciri chooses to intervene. Aiming to slay the beast and save the girl at the same time, Ciri finds herself at odds with the prejudices and superstitions of the people she tries to protect, leading her to confront a painful witcher lesson: that monsters come in all forms.
