Fans of the Witcher series should fasten their seatbelts. The next installment of the series has been confirmed – and it is supposed to be something entirely new.
The Witcher series is one of the major milestones in RPGs, and especially Witcher 3 has revolutionized and practically perfected the RPG genre in many ways. It was only a matter of time before the next title would be announced – and that time has come. At the Game Developers Conference (GDC), it was revealed that “a new saga” is on the horizon.
What does the teaser show? The teaser basically consists of a single, brief sequence – a Witcher medallion lying in the snow. It is noticeable that this is definitely not the amulet of the Wolf school (to which Geralt belonged). The other major known schools (Cat, Griffin, Bear, Snake) also look different from the amulet shown.
What is the new game about? That is still not completely clear. However, it is obvious that the saga of Geralt seems to be completed. Witcher 3 indeed provided a good conclusion, culminating the story and leading to a (at least provisional) end. The ominous phrase “A new saga begins” makes it clear that the original storyline has been told to its conclusion.
It is clear, though, that it will again be an open-world game, as was the case with Witcher 3.
Update March 22: In an initial analysis, the editorial team discusses in the podcast what lies behind the announcement of the new Witcher and why it does not necessarily target players:
When will the game be released? A release date for Witcher 4 has not yet been announced – and no one should expect it anytime soon. CD Projekt Red is known for taking a lot of time for its games. The last major titles have been delayed multiple times. In the case of Cyberpunk 2077, the release was still a major disaster, with many bugs and issues tarnishing the launch. It can be assumed that developers want to avoid a repeat of this debacle and will take significantly more time for Witcher 4. In the best case, we can expect to get closer to a release in 2024 – but even this assumption should be taken with caution.
The fact that the announcement was made at GDC suggests that CD Projekt RED is looking for additional developers to strengthen the team. There are probably still several years of work ahead for the team.
What else do we know? Mainly technical details. The next part of the Witcher saga will be developed in collaboration with Epic Games, mainly because it relies on Unreal Engine 5. This is expected to simplify the work and ensure that development can proceed in a more focused manner.
It is definitely clear that a new RPG milestone is gradually rolling towards fans. Whether Witcher 4 can set new standards, just as its predecessor Witcher 3 did, remains to be seen. But we are incredibly excited.
We at MeinMMO are currently recording a podcast on this topic, which you can listen to here tomorrow.
Are you excited for Witcher 4? What should the story be about? Could you enjoy Witcher without Geralt?
