After the first look at The Witcher 4 at the Game Awards 2024, one thing caught the eye of viewers and fans of the game: Ciri is the protagonist of the latest game in the Witcher universe. CD Projekt RED knows what they are capable of, but they also see the challenge in this decision.
What do we know so far about the development of The Witcher 4? The Witcher 4 will be the latest game in the Witcher series, but it will not be a classic sequel or reboot, as the Narrative Director of CD Projekt RED reports in an interview with GameStar.
The studio has already proven with Cyberpunk 2077 that they can handle challenges, no matter how bleak the outlook may initially seem. This is part of game development. A developer reveals in an interview with Revenant that the studio also has a significant hurdle to overcome regarding The Witcher 4, which is already attracting attention before the game is released.
Here you can see the trailer for The Witcher 4:
“Ciri is as important or even more important than Geralt of Rivia.”
Where is the challenge? David Cordero, Head of Cinematic Animation at Cyberpunk 2077, said that the biggest challenge does not lie in the gameplay of The Witcher 4, as they “will do everything to improve it regarding gameplay or combat, since CD Projekt is a studio that listens a lot to the community” (via 3DJuegos).
The real challenge lies in convincing players that Ciri is as important or even more important than Geralt of Rivia. Cordero knows that Geralt is very popular in the community and that Ciri therefore has big shoes to fill as the new protagonist. However, he also adds that this does not mean that Geralt does not exist in the world. In the trailer, for example, you can also hear his voice as the narrator.
How is CD Projekt dealing with this challenge? Although Ciri is a popular character in the Witcher universe alongside Geralt, some players express concerns about the development of the protagonist, especially regarding the story of the game.
Cordero addresses these player concerns. He trusts the lore team in this regard:
CD Projekt has a very well-developed story department with the most passionate people you will ever meet in your life. Therefore, we will take care of this, it is not a trivial matter. We will adopt this level of detail from Cyberpunk 2077, and we expect the cinematic sequences to receive an enormous upgrade.
David Cortero, Head of Cinematic Animation at Cyberpunk 2077 in an interview with Revenant (via 3DJuegos)
So far, CD Projekt has not revealed much about the story and backgrounds of the upcoming The Witcher 4, but they are aware of the uncertainties and concerns of fans and the community. Here on MeinMMO, you can read more about their response to player reactions: “We have great respect for the lore”: Studio behind The Witcher 4 promises that there is a reason why Ciri is not as strong anymore
