Since the announcement of The Witcher 4, fans have been discussing the new protagonist Ciri. Because she will succeed Geralt. The developers have now responded to the fans’ concerns and explained whether Ciri is still in line with the book’s framework.
What do the fans think? During the Game Awards, a first trailer for The Witcher 4 was shown. In it, alongside a mysterious woman, the new protagonist is also visible. In the fourth installment of the popular series from CD Projekt RED, we will no longer play the taciturn Geralt of Rivia, but his adopted daughter Ciri.
Ciri was playable in some segments of Part 3, but now she is supposed to become the main character. Fans of The Witcher have some issues with this choice. They believe that Ciri cannot be a witcher. One reason is that witchers are usually male, as women are not capable of surviving the mutations that their bodies undergo.
If Ciri is a witcher, it would mean that she has survived the herb trial – a tough test that young candidates must pass to become a witcher. Only a few survive this trial. Some fans doubt whether Ciri would manage to succeed.
Moreover, the books never indicated that Ciri should become a witcher. Though she is present at the fortress of Kaer Morhen, she does not participate in the herb trial – a fact that is clarified in the book “The Last Wish” according to Reddit users.
The developers have now responded to this thought of the fans and meet it with some understanding.
“Legitimate Concerns” – but a reassurance
What do the developers say? In a conversation with Eurogamer, Sebastian Kalemba (Game Director) and Philipp Weber (Narrative Director) responded to the players’ objections.
They listen to them and find that there are “many legitimate concerns”. The team has also asked many questions themselves. However, the developers make it clear that they are committed to the canon of the source material. They want to take that very seriously and respect it.
The team would not simply create something just because they felt like it. That Ciri suddenly becomes a real witcher and confronts dangerous creatures, according to the developers, does not deviate from the canon. But what does the author of the books, Andrzej Sapkowski, say about this? Philipp Weber responds:
I mean, I can actually give you a very good answer because it is the answer that Andrzej Sapkowski usually gives: The answer is in the books. And in the books, Andrzej Sapkowski has referred to Ciri multiple times as a witcher, and Geralt has referred to Ciri as a witcher in the books as well. So I think that essentially says what Andrzej Sapkowski thinks about the topic.
Philipp Weber via eurogamer.net
It seems that the developers are taking the rules of the world of The Witcher seriously, but are still looking for loopholes to find new paths. How exactly Ciri’s development will be explained will likely be revealed only in the finished game.
In total, the developers have a lot of work ahead of them to properly integrate their new protagonist into the game and also satisfy long-term fans. More information can be found on MeinMMO: The Witcher 4 is not a sequel despite the title, but you don’t have to say goodbye completely to Geralt
