After the release of the successful “Liberty City” expansion for “Cyberpunk 2077,” those responsible at CD Projekt are now turning their attention to the future. So the studio doesn't just work on one thing Successor to “Cyberpunk 2077”which is created under the code name “Project Orion”.
There are also several new “The Witcher” projects in development. Including a whole new trilogy that will tell exciting stories in the legendary fantasy world of author Andrzej Sapkowski.
We have summarized the initial information and rumors for you and will of course update this article regularly as soon as CD Projekt reveals further details.
Table of contents:
What is known about the story?
Those responsible at CD Projekt have so far given few concrete details about the story of “The Witcher 4” – or whatever the first part of the new trilogy is called. In an earlier interview, it was only said that the second trilogy would confront us with completely new stories and conflicts in the world of “The Witcher”.
In addition, the studio's writers noted that the story of Geralt of Rivia was brought to a conclusion with “The Wild Hunt.” Of course, this doesn't rule out the possibility that we'll also see the popular protagonist in the new trilogy.
However, the authors' statements suggested that we would take control of a different hero or heroine in the future.
It would be conceivable, for example, that this time we would find out more about Ciri and her story. Back in November 2019, CD Projects Principal Writer Jakub Szamalek admitted that his team regretted no more about Ciri's rose tattoo to have told. Until CD Projekt gives concrete details about the plot, we can only speculate about the extent to which a reunion with the characters from the original trilogy awaits us.
All that is certain so far is that the authors of CD Projekt are pursuing ambitious goals with the new “The Witcher” trilogy and “want to tell even more intense stories”. The team also sees “The Witcher 4” as an excellent entry point for new players.
What is offered in a playful way?
CD Projekt is also still silent about the gameplay of the new “The Witcher” trilogy. However, we can assume that little will change in the basic concept of the series. The position of game director of the new trilogy clothed Sebastian Kalemba, who worked as lead animator on “Wild Hunt” at the time.
What is certain is that “The Witcher 4” will also take us into a large open world that lives primarily from its stories and the harmonious presentation. In both “The Wild Hunt” and “Cyberpunk 2077,” the developers at CD Projekt offered us lively worlds that, with their numerous secrets and excitingly written characters, invited us to explore extensively.
A strength that experience shows that the Polish studio will also exploit in the new “The Witcher” trilogy. The real-time combat system known from its predecessors is also considered to be set, which the developers are likely to further refine in various areas and add new features. The same probably applies to the magic that was used sporadically in the predecessors.
There is a question mark over a possible multiplayer component. Although CD Projekt left in the past announced several timesthat all future “The Witcher” and “Cyberpunk” productions will have online features.
Since CD Projekt is working on one in parallel with “The Witcher 4”. separate multiplayer project Based on the brand, it is speculated that the upcoming trilogy will also be purely single-player experiences.
What stage is the development at?
CD Projekt was a little more specific than the story regarding the development stage of the new “The Witcher” adventure. After the concept phase was completed in 2022, the studio announced in January 2024 that pre-production of the title is in the home stretch.
Once this is completed, “The Witcher 4” is scheduled to go into full production later this year. According to CEO Adam Badowski, the studio relies on plenty of manpower and would like to increase the responsible teams to 400 employees by the middle of the year.
However, CD Projekt is not relying solely on human creativity when working on the next chapter of “The Witcher” series. At the same time, a team was founded within the studio to investigate how artificial intelligence can be used to optimize internal processes and make the teams' work easier.
According to Badowski, CD Projekt attaches great importance to the fact that the AI techniques are not intended to replace human employees. “We believe that AI is something that can help improve certain processes in game production without replacing humans,” said Badowski.
When and for which platforms will The Witcher 4 be released?
Since the development of “The Witcher 4” is still at a very early stage, it is of course unclear when we can expect the role-playing game to be released. A rough time frame was given at the end of 2022 by CD Projekt President Adam Kiciński, who pointed out that the development time of “The Witcher 4” will be around five years.
If we include the concept phase or pre-production, then these statements could point to a release in 2026 or 2027 at the latest. One thing is clear: In order to avoid technical problems and errors like those with the catastrophic console launch of “Cyberpunk 2077”, the developers want to take the necessary time for the final fine-tuning this time.
We should therefore take possible shifts into account. According to CD Projects Chief Technical Officer Pawel Zawodny benefit The teams switched to Unreal Engine 5. Compared to the in-house RED Engine, which was used in “Wild Hunt”, among other things, ambitious projects and open worlds can be implemented much faster and more efficiently with Unreal Engine 5.
Another factor that could influence a possible release period is the health of the developers. In contrast to previous titles, CD Projekt deliberately wants to avoid crunch phases this time. A projectwhich could also lead to a possible delay towards the end of development.
If “The Witcher 4” is indeed released in 2026 or 2027, then the role-playing game will appear for the PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Implementations for the next generation of consoles or corresponding technical upgrades are likely to follow at a later date.
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