Speculation of Ciri’s return has been rife ever since CD Projekt Red teased that a fourth installment in The Witcher series is in the works, and it seems the fan dream is now a reality. Opening The Game Awards 2024 with a bang, a shiny new trailer for the highly-anticipated successor to one of the most critically acclaimed titles confirms that Geralt’s ward will take the lead in The Witcher IV.
“There are no gods here, only monsters. We’re thrilled to reveal the first look at The Witcher IV – our upcoming single-player open-world RPG. It marks the beginning of a new saga with Ciri as a protagonist, embarking on her own journey to become a professional monster slayer,” reads the official announcement post on X/Twitter.
The nearly six-minute trailer – rendered in a custom build of Unreal Engine 5 on an unannounced NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU – re-introduces players to Ciri, as she takes on a contract in a remote village and slays a beast in the woods, but fails to save a woman from its clutches. It also showcases some of her new abilities and tools, including a chain and advanced magic powers.
“We’re kicking off a brand-new Witcher saga, this time with Ciri as the heart of the story!” said game director Sebastian Kalemba. “It feels so good to finally be able to say those words — for the longest time we knew that we wanted Ciri to be the protagonist of The Witcher IV; 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 is a taste of both that, and just how dark and grounded the world of The Witcher can be.”
Not much else is known about The Witcher IV, including plot specifics and a release date. However, the studio has previously clarified that the highly-anticipated sequel won’t arrive anytime soon, so 2025 will likely be out of the picture. Still, one thing’s for sure – Geralt’s journey may have come to a close, but the legacy of The Witcher continues to burn brightly.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
