When talking about the best RPGs you can play right now, The Witcher 3 is going to be brought up. In fact, odds are that it will even appear in most people’s best games of all time list, and for good reason. Inspired by the book series of the same name, the first Witcher game is one of the best PC games, and has now become a household name thanks to the success of the Netflix show. However, after the third game, CD Projekt Red moved on to Cyberpunk 2077, and we were left wondering if we’d tossed our last coin to the Witcher.
It seems there are still more stories to tell in the Witcher universe, with multiple upcoming video game projects in the works. The most interesting, of course, is the next step in the story with The Witcher 4. We’ve taken our potions, oiled up our blades, and are ready to hunt down all the information we know so far about this highly anticipated upcoming game.
While Nintendo fans can look forward to Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokemon Legends: Z-A, this game won’t be an upcoming Switch game like it is an upcoming Xbox Series X game or upcoming PC game. However, there’s always a chance it could show up on the Switch 2.
The Witcher 4 release date speculation
The Witcher 4 has no release date of any kind. We don’t even know what year this game might happen to release in, but we do know that The Witcher 3 took the team around three-and-a-half to four years of development time, while Cyberpunk 2077 took even longer than that. If The Witcher 4 is going to be around the same scale, and with development being in such an early stage that there’s nothing to be shown yet, the best we can guess right now is that it will be at least three or four years before this game is ready at the earliest.
Another milestone for the next Witcher game completed! Congratulations to the whole Team! I’m proud to see how you’ve progressed over time. Entering the production stage of Polaris is an important step on our path to deliver the game and our long term strategic goals. Go Team,… https://t.co/XfIXGIRTxm
— Michał Nowakowski (@michalnowakow) November 26, 2024
The only update since the announcement came in a post on X (formerly Twitter) where Sebastian Kalemba and Michal Nowakowsi commented on Project Polaris (aka Witcher 4) going into “the full-scale production phase!” We aren’t ready to adjust our expectations on when the game will arrive, but it is now the primary focus of the team.
Technically it isn’t an official announcement, but CD Projekt Red CFO Piotr Nielubowicz did comment on the game during an earnings conference. They stated “that the game will not be launched within the time frame of the first target of the incentive program, which ends December 31, 2026.” In response to this news, as well as more information about Intergalactic: The Heteric Prophet’s release, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier commented on ResetEra that “I’m pretty sure I said they were both going to be very early teases. Neither of those games will be out next year.”
That firmly puts The Witcher 4 as a 2027 game at the earliest, but more than likely 2028 or later.
The Witcher 4 platforms
No platforms have been confirmed, but based on the estimated timeline, The Witcher IV should firmly be a current-gen-only game. It has at least been confirmed to not be exclusive to any platform, though. We would expect PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC versions to be released simultaneously. While The Witcher 3 somehow managed to cram itself onto the Switch, we don’t think that will be possible this time around. However, it could be possible on whatever the Switch 2 ends up being.
The Witcher 4 trailers
We initially just had some images to work with, but we got our first trailer for The Witcher 4 during The Game Awards 2024. This is a fully CGI trailer, so no gameplay, but it does reveal some very important details about the game. The biggest reveal, though one many fans suspected, is that Ciri will be the protagonist this time rather than Geralt. The trailer shows an older Ciri who has undergone the Trail of Grasses and become a full Witcher hunting a monster to whom a village was sacrificing a young girl to appease. Despite slaying the creature in spectacular fashion, the girl still ends up dying as tends to happen in Witcher stories.
Previously, the voice of Geralt, Doug Cockle, did let slip in a video for Fall Damage that “Geralt will be a part of the game. We just don’t know how much, and the game won’t focus on Geralt, so it’s not about him this time.” We hear some lines in this trailer from the old Witcher, leading many to wonder if he will be a mentor character of sorts.
The Witcher 4 gameplay
We have no gameplay to analyze here either, but we do feel confident that CD Projekt Red won’t want to shake their flagship series up too much in the gameplay department. The CGI trailer does imply a few gameplay elements, such as the return of potions, two words, and magic Signs. One new addition that looks like it could be included is Ciri’s chain that she uses to ensnare the monster and even use to conduct magic through.
Also, for all you Gwent fans out there, fear not, because the addictive card game will be back for this new game.
Preorder The Witcher 4
This one will be a while. The Witcher 4 doesn’t even have a release window and isn’t coming until 2027 at the absolute earliest. Heck, we don’t even know what systems we can play it on for sure just yet. It will probably be a few years yet before preorders go up, but when they do, we will be sure to let you know all those details here. The Witcher 3 had some great editions to pick from, so hopefully The Witcher 4 will follow suit as well.
