The narrative director of The Witcher 4 says that the team at CD Projekt Red isn't trying to top The Witcher 3, but rather do justice to its incredible legacy as one of the most beloved RPGs of all time. While The Witcher 4 is likely still a few years away, early glimpses of the game have fans excited, with the title promising impressive graphics, a vast open world, and more of the Polish studio's intricate storytelling.

Properly revealed with a lengthy cinematic story trailer at The Game Awards 2024, The Witcher 4 will feature Ciri as the main character, something that has divided fans. While many Witcher 3 players expected Geralt's adopted daughter to feature prominently in the next game, others are wary about the change, with some concerned that a focus on the Lion Cub of Cintra would take away from what made the previous title great. In June, the game's engineering production manager, Jan Hermanowicz, asked fans to avoid making judgments too soon, as the initial trailer only showed one small glimpse at Ciri's overall character.

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The Witcher 4's Fast Travel System Already Seems Set in Stone

The Witcher 4 is likely to improve on many of The Witcher 3's systems, but its fast travel system is already right in front of players.

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As more tidbits about the game begin to surface, many eager players wonder how The Witcher 4 can possibly top The Witcher 3, with the latter having sold over 68 million units since its 2015 release and earned over 200 game of the year awards. According to narrative director Philipp Weber in a new interview with GamesRadar+, the goal isn't to surpass the previous title, as he understands that games are subjective. "I think the way we want to do justice to the legacy of The Witcher 3 is to take the philosophy we had - how to make a game, how to really care about these things, how to tell stories - and keep that philosophy," Weber said. "I think it's really trying to have that healthy mix of really moving forward and also trying out some new things, but doing justice to what was there, not trying to beat it." In a previous interview, Weber credited many of the l essons learned during The Witcher 3's development to The Witcher 4's potential success, highlighting how important it has been for the development team to keep the elements that players love while also experimenting with fresh content.

The Witcher 4’s Narrative Director Wants to ‘Do Justice to the Legacy of The Witcher 3'

While details remain scarce, a recent comment from CD Projekt Red's VP of technology, Charles Tremblay, implies that The Witcher 4 is being developed with consoles in mind, potentially signaling bad news for PC players. This may be due to the disastrous state of Cyberpunk 2077 at launch, with the RPG's release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One riddled with bugs and glitches, later leading the studio to offer refunds.

Although hype for The Witcher 4 is continuing to build, CD Projekt Red may not be done with the previous game in the franchise just yet, as rumors indicate that The Witcher 3 could be getting a new story DLC sometime in 2026. The title hasn't received any DLC content since Blood and Wine was released in May 2016.

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The Witcher 4
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Action RPG
Open-World
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Developer(s)
CD Projekt Red
Publisher(s)
CD Projekt Red
Engine
Unreal Engine 5
Franchise
The Witcher
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DIGITAL
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Genre(s)
Action RPG, Open-World