2028 · CD Projekt RED · Action role-playing · Adventure

The Witcher IV

The Witcher IV is a single-player, open-world RPG from CD PROJEKT RED. At the start of a new saga, players take on the role of Ciri, a professional monster slayer, and embark on a journey through a brutal dark-fantasy world.

Released: 2028
Platforms: PlayStation 5 Windows Xbox Series X/S
Genres: Action role-playing Adventure Role-playing
Developers: CD Projekt RED
Publishers: CD Projekt
Series: The Witcher
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Third person
Themes: Action Fantasy Drama Open world
Country: Poland
Entry: #4 in The Witcher

About

The Witcher IV‍ is an upcoming action role-playing game developed and published by CD Projekt Red. It is the planned first installment of a new trilogy in The Witcher series, which is based on the book series of the same name by Andrzej Sapkowski. The game is set after the events of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015). Unlike the original trilogy, which featured book protagonist Geralt of Rivia as the playable character, The Witcher IV features his adoptive daughter, Ciri, as the protagonist.

The Witcher IV is being developed for release on PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. It is planned to release in 2028.

Keywords

female protagonist

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The Witcher IV is an action role-playing game set in the open world of The Witcher's Continent. The player controls Ciri, a monster hunter, exploring the world on foot and may summon her horse, Kelpie, at will. The game introduces new playable regions, including the Kovir region, which was only mentioned in previous Witcher games and explored in the books.

Development

In March 2022, CD Projekt Red (CDPR) announced that they were working on a new game in The Witcher series. By October, the studio revealed that this entry, internally codenamed "Project Polaris", would initiate a new trilogy. In November, Sebastian Kalemba announced that he had been appointed as the "Polaris" game director the month prior after spending 15 months as a creative director on the project. Following the release of Cyberpunk 2077 (2020), CDPR made structural changes to its production process, aimed at refining development phases and fostering cohesive designs for future projects, including the new Witcher game.

CD Projekt Red sought to address issues from Cyberpunk 2077's development during work on The Witcher IV by mandating the creation of more complete documentation that must be shared across the company. It remained in pre-production from May 2022 until November 2024, when full production began. During the pre-production period, CD Projekt Red began moving staff off of work on Cyberpunk 2077 following the release of its Phantom Liberty expansion with the "Polaris" team reaching 403 members in March 2024. By March 2026, 499 employees were working on the project.