It’s going to be a Ciri-ous wait for fans eager to dive back into the world of The Witcher 4. According to developer CD Projekt Red, the highly-anticipated title won’t release in 2026, pushing its launch window to 2027 and beyond.
“We are not going to announce the precise launch date for the game yet,” chief financial officer Piotr Nielubowicz said in response to the inquiry during its fiscal year 2024 earnings presentation. “All we could share now to give more visibility to investors is that the game will not be launched within the time frame of the first target for the incentive program, which ends 31 December 2026.”
The announcement doesn’t come as a surprise, but it’s still nice to have some confirmation. Back in November 2024, the studio said that the sequel had entered full production, reigniting hype for its return. A six-minute cinematic trailer then debuted a month later at The Game Awards, spotlighting an older Ciri as the series’ new playable protagonist, who takes over the titular mantle from Geralt of Rivia.
“We’re kicking off a brand-new Witcher saga, this time with Ciri as the heart of the story!” game director Sebastian Kalemba said at the time. “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 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 is a taste of both that, and just how dark and grounded the world of The Witcher can be.”
Interestingly enough, rumours are indicating a 2027 target launch for Microsoft’s follow-up to its current Xbox Series X|S consoles, which may point toward a next-gen release for The Witcher 4. The game will be the first entry in a new trilogy when it eventually arrives, joining two other projects in expanding the universe: a remake of the franchise’s 2007 debut, and a multiplayer foray codenamed Sirius from Flame in the Flood developer The Molasses Flood.
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
