- The Witcher 4 has been officially revealed
- CD Projekt Red debuted a cinematic trailer at The Game Awards 2024
- The Witcher 3's Ciri will return as the playable protagonist in the upcoming
In a surprise turn of events, CD Projekt Red has unveiled the first official look at The Witcher 4 at The Game Awards 2024, and yes, Ciri is the playable protagonist.
As the first big game announcement of the night, the studio debuted a stunning, six-minute cinematic trailer depicting a short story from the eyes of a now older Ciri as she takes on a witcher contract in a remote village, terrorized for generations by a monster demanding ritual sacrifice.
Previously codenamed Project Polaris, The Witcher 4 is being developed using customized Unreal Engine 5 technology and will mark the beginning of a new Witcher saga starring Ciri.
"We're kicking off a brand-new Witcher saga, this time with Ciri as the heart of the story!” said game director Sebastian Kalemba. "It feels so good to finally be able to say those words - for the longest time we knew that we wanted Ciri to be the protagonist of The Witcher 4; it just felt natural to us and we believe that Ciri deserves it.
"In this game we want to explore what it means to truly become a witcher by following Ciri on her Path. This trailer is a taste of both that, and just how dark and grounded the world of The Witcher can be."
If you're unfamiliar, Ciri is the adopted daughter of Geralt of Rivia, the protagonist of the first three Witcher games. Interestingly, it seems CDPR has canonized The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's ending, which would see Ciri become a witcher or the Empress of Nilfgaard depending on the player's choices.
Speaking in a recent interview with IGN about the decision to make her the star of the new saga, executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga said that this is a "continuation", and that Ciri was "the very organic, logical choice" as the story has always been about her.
Kalemba expanded on this, saying that choosing Ciri as the main character "was far from roulette. It wasn't random" and that the idea came about in discussions nine years ago.
In terms of what we can expect from the story, Kalemba explained that since Ciri is younger than Geralt, players will be allowed more freedom to shape her character in The Witcher 4.
"She's actually about to become the Witcher,” the director said. “She's about to actually form her own codex, but on her own terms. The way she actually deals with the monsters, the way she deals with quests, the adventures, it's her own unique way. And also I think that she gives more room to be able to tell different stories here and there.
"Of course, we want to give the opportunity for the player to explore more nuance because this is what we do. But she deserves that.”
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