Don't hold your breath for The Witcher 4. According to the developers at CD Projekt, it won't be out until 2027 at the earliest. In a financial call discussing future profit projections, CD Projekt stated, "Even though we do not plan to release The Witcher 4 by the end of 2026, we are still driven by this financial goal. And although it's very ambitious, we stand a chance of achieving it within the given timeframe." This statement confirms that a launch in 2024 is off the table, which wasn't widely expected, and a 2025 release, which some had hoped for, is also out of the question. This sets 2027 as the earliest possible release year for The Witcher 4. However, considering the unpredictable nature of the video game industry, a 2028 release is also a possibility.

With a potential 2027 release, The Witcher 4 could be targeting the next generation of consoles. Sony is likely working on the PlayStation 6, and Microsoft is rumored to be aiming for a 2027 release for the Xbox Series X successor and an Xbox handheld. Whether The Witcher 4 will be a cross-gen game, like Cyberpunk 2077 was at its December 2020 launch, remains to be seen. If it is, could it also work on the Nintendo Switch 2? While it seems unlikely, The Witcher 3 did make its way to the original Switch, so surprises are possible.

The Witcher 4 marks the beginning of a new trilogy set after the events of The Witcher 3, with Ciri taking the spotlight as the protagonist instead of Geralt. In an exclusive interview with IGN ahead of The Witcher 4's reveal, executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga explained the choice, saying, "It was always about her, starting from Saga when you read it in the books. She's an amazing, layered character. And of course, as a protagonist we said goodbye to Geralt previously. So this is a continuation. I guess for all of us it’s like she was meant to be. That was always her."

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In January, during an interview with IGN about Netflix's upcoming animated film, The Witcher: Sirens of The Deep, Geralt's voice actor Doug Cockle expressed his support for CD Projekt's decision to shift the focus to Ciri. "I'm really excited," he said. "I think it's a really good move. I mean, I always thought that continuing the Saga, but shifting to Ciri would be a really, really interesting move for all kinds of reasons, but mostly because of things that happen in the books, which I don't want to give away because people, I want people to go read. So yeah, I think it's really exciting. I can't wait. I can't wait to see what they've done."

In February, the director of The Witcher 4 clarified that a new video featured the same in-game model of Ciri, dispelling rumors that her face looked different.

For more exclusive content on The Witcher 4, check out our trailer breakdown and an interview with CD Projekt where they discuss how they plan to avoid a Cyberpunk 2077-style launch disaster.