Unveiling The Witcher 4: CD Projekt Crimson Discusses Ciri, Geralt, and Player Choices

The Witcher 4 is precise, and it will be primarily known as The Witcher 4. It will probably feature Ciri as the main character, mirroring the third-person action-RPG format of The Witcher 3, and Doug Cockle reprises his role as Geralt of Rivia, who will indeed have a presence in the game in some form.

From the trailer, Ciri appears to have undergone the Trial of the Grasses to become a witcher, and she possesses magical abilities that exceed those of typical witchers like Geralt. That’s about all we know definitively regarding The Witcher 4 at this point, aside from some additional context that we can piece together from previous conversations with CD Projekt Red, regarding the studio’s ongoing technical aspirations and approximate launch timelines.

This creates an interesting backdrop for our discussion this week with The Witcher 4’s game director, Sebastian Kalemba, and narrative director, Philipp Weber – albeit one with some strict limitations on what can be disclosed. There are numerous questions lingering for fans. How much time has passed since the events of The Witcher 3, given Ciri’s seemingly more mature appearance in the trailer? Which ending is considered canon? How do you incorporate such a powerful character like Ciri into the early stages of an RPG? And can our current-gen consoles run that trailer, since it was pre-rendered on an unspecified, “unannounced Nvidia GeForce RTX” graphics card that was “using assets and models from the game itself”?

We were cautioned beforehand that specific story, location, and gameplay aspects will not be revealed yet – however, despite the evasiveness and careful phrasing, there are still some new insights we were able to gather. Below is a full transcript of our conversation, lightly edited for clarity.

So my main question is: is there a definitive, canonical ending to The Witcher 3 that you are currently basing this on? Obviously, there are drastically different endings available for Ciri in particular…

Philipp Weber: At this point, we can’t say exactly how we will approach that. It’s something we will reveal later. What I can share is that we must respect everything that came before, including the books by Andrzej Sapkowski and all three Witcher games, and that certainly includes some significant choices made by the players. But exactly how we, you know, illustrate how we handle these elements will be part of the narrative we present in Polaris, so we will discuss it in detail at a later time.

Can you discuss how many years have passed after The Witcher 3? Clearly, Ciri appears older, so we can assume it’s been a significant amount of time – can you specify exactly how long?

Sebastian Kalemba: We cannot specify the exact duration, but we can say ‘a few’ [years], that’s certain. And I’d leave it at that.

Weber: Yes, a few years, typically.

Kalemba: A couple of years. [laughs]

A couple of years, okay. You mentioned Andrzej Sapkowski – what is his involvement like with The Witcher 4? Do you communicate with him as we speak, do you run things by him, or is it entirely hands-off?

Kalemba: Actually, he’s hands-off. However, you know, he’s not [involved] in any direct oversight or anything, but we have a great relationship with him. So we meet with Andrzej Sapkowski regularly to discuss various things. But overall, there’s a substantial understanding between us in terms of managing this world. I believe we are fully aligned in framing it.

Weber: Yes, and while I can also mention, as someone who joined the company as a fan of The Witcher, when Andrzej visited us a while back in the studio, and we got to genuinely show him some of the work we do, I can definitely say that was a very satisfying day for everyone.

Kalemba: Yes, he truly enjoyed [seeing what CDPR was creating].

Does he ‘approve’ of Ciri being a fully-fledged witcher? I ask because it has sparked some debate among fans, regarding whether she is or isn’t officially a witcher, considering she has undergone the Trial of the Grasses [CDPR has confirmed that she has, prior to The Witcher 4]. Has he explicitly stated something like, ‘yes, that’s perfectly acceptable’?

Weber: I mean, I can provide a very honest answer, because it’s the answer that Andrzej Sapkowski generally gives: the answer lies in the books. And in the books, Andrzej Sapkowski referred to Ciri as a witcher multiple times, and Geralt referred to Ciri as a witcher as well. So I think that generally conveys Andrzej Sapkowski’s stance on the subject.

Staying on Ciri for a moment, there seems to have been what you might call some ‘pushback’ from some individuals already regarding her role as the main protagonist, for various reasons, correct? Some due to perhaps not enjoying the gameplay mechanics of the Ciri segments in The Witcher 3 as much as the others. Or they believe she isn’t a true witcher, even though, as you point out, it’s supported in the books; or they wish to see their own character featured; or they don’t favor her portrayal in the trailer. What are your thoughts on that response so far? Do you feel that was to be expected?

Weber: I believe there are many valid concerns and reactions, as I think many arise from genuine passion, and I think a lot of these questions are ones we’ve asked ourselves too. So we certainly reiterate that we are committed to the lore, the canon of the books written by Andrzej Sapkowski, and the previous three Witcher games, and we take that very seriously. Hence, all the responses we must provide in The Witcher 4 are based on this perspective. We aren’t just arbitrarily creating things for the sake of it. We have a serious commitment to these elements.

So I can definitely understand if some individuals, you know, might have preferred to play another game featuring Geralt – personally, I could play games centered around Geralt until my last breath, and I’d likely die content. However, I think for me, and for all of us [at CDPR], it’s also a valid…

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It is certainly enticing to explore all the possibilities that Ciri offers us, especially when considering her persona and how we can effectively utilize her attributes in the gameplay. Therefore, I believe the best approach for us, particularly for those who may be anxious at this moment, is to reassure them that we are committed to delivering this with excellence and attention to detail. I am hopeful that through the game itself, we can win them over, as actions speak louder than words.

Kalemba: Absolutely, well put. Additionally, please remember that we are not just developers; we are also gamers, right? You see, we began with the second protagonist in The Wild Hunt, and there was already a hint of that. We are truly focused on