Summary
- The Witcher franchise has steadily grown in popularity with the release of games, books, and a Netflix series.
- CD Projekt Red is currently working on three Witcher projects, including a continuation of the mainline series and a multiplayer spin-off.
- Despite challenges and changes in the cast, Netflix's The Witcher show is continuing with a fourth season in production.
The Witcher is over three decades old now, and its popularity has only continued to grow year by year. While the seven original Witcher books by Andrzej Sapkowski were instant hits in their country of origin, it took a little while before the series made its way over to the US, with the first book not receiving an official English translation until 2007, coincidentally the same year that CD Projekt Red would release its first Witcher video game.
With every new piece of media released, The Witcher franchise continued to grow more popular, and that came to a head in 2015 with the release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the winner of the Game Awards' Game of the Year trophy, and the project that finally cemented The Witcher as a household name outside of Poland. But while The Witcher is arguably at the peak of its popularity right now, it has a long road ahead of it and might be biting off a bit more at once than it can chew.
The Witcher Franchise Has a Lot on its Plate
CD Projekt Red Has At Least Three Witcher Projects Currently in the Works
Currently, as of March 2024, CD Projekt Red has at least three Witcher projects in active development. The first of these is Project Polaris, said to be a continuation of the mainline Witcher series. It's currently unclear who this new Witcher saga is going to revolve around, or when it'll be set, but regardless of that, The Witcher 4 already has a lot of pressure on its shoulders.
With each new release, CD Projekt Red gets better at refining its open-world formula and coming off the release of the recently-redeemed Cyberpunk 2077, fans are going to be expecting a lot from the next mainline Witcher release. And that's just the start of things. Though CD Projekt Red has been understandably cagey, Project Polaris is confirmed to be just the start of a brand new Witcher saga, suggesting that the developer potentially already has a whole new series of mainline Witcher games mapped out.
As if that wasn't enough pressure on its own, CD Projekt Red is also juggling another two Witcher projects. Project Canis Majoris is set to be a full-scale remake of the first Witcher game, and while Fool's Theory is leading development on the project, CD Projekt is presumably still working alongside the studio in some capacity. Then, finally, is Project Sirius, a multiplayer Witcher spin-off being developed by Molasses Flood.
However, while Molasses Flood is leading on Sirius, CD Projekt had to briefly take over the project and reorganize the studio's resources last year, along with restarting the game's development with a new framework. While CD Projekt Red is an incredibly talented developer that certainly knows what it's doing with The Witcher franchise, all of these projects are a lot to handle, and all have a great deal of pressure on them.
Netflix Is Still Making The Witcher Show
But the gaming landscape is the only place where The Witcher is burning its candle at both ends. Despite all three seasons never receiving the critical reception its showrunners were likely hoping for, Netflix's The Witcher is determined to stick it out until the bitter end, even without its leading star. With Liam Hemsworth set to replace Henry Cavill as Geralt, The Witcher Season 4 is set to start filming very soon, and that cast change alone puts more pressure on the show than ever before.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
You are Geralt of Rivia, mercenary monster slayer. Before you stands a war-torn, monster-infested continent you can explore at will. Your current contract? Tracking down Ciri — the Child of Prophecy, a living weapon that can alter the shape of the world.
PLAY AS A HIGHLY TRAINED MONSTER SLAYER FOR HIRE
Trained from early childhood and mutated to gain superhuman skills, strength, and reflexes, witchers are a counterbalance to the monster-infested world in which they live.
Gruesomely destroy foes as a professional monster hunter armed with a range of upgradeable weapons, mutating potions, and combat magic. Hunt down a wide variety of exotic monsters, from savage beasts prowling mountain passes to cunning supernatural predators lurking in the shadowy back alleys of densely populated cities. Invest your rewards to upgrade your weaponry and buy custom armor, or spend them on horse races, card games, fist fighting, and other pleasures life brings.
EXPLORE A MORALLY AMBIGUOUS FANTASY OPEN WORLD
Built for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth, and complexity. Traverse a fantastical open world: explore forgotten ruins, caves, and shipwrecks, trade with merchants and dwarven smiths in cities, and hunt across the open plains, mountains, and seas. Deal with treasonous generals, devious witches, and corrupt royalty to provide dark and dangerous services. Make choices that go beyond good & evil, and face their far-reaching consequences.
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Engine
- REDengine 3
- Expansions
- The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone, The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine
- Franchise
- The Witcher
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- How Long To Beat
- 52 Hours
- Metascore
- 94
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
