CDPR just dropped the official trailer for Witcher 4 at the 2024 Game Awards, confirming that Ciri is the new protagonist.
The beginning of the video explains it was “pre-rendered in Unreal Engine 5 on an unannounced NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU.” Considering how gorgeous the video is, I’m very much excited for what the finished product will look like.
The trailer shows Ciri taking on a contract to slay a spider-like monster that is terrorizing a village. The video’s tone is very much reminiscent of Witcher 3, complete with the recurring idea that humans are as much (or even more so) the monsters as the actual ones.
The video also gives a sneak peek at some of Ciri’s tools, including an interesting lightning-like Witcher spell and a chain-hook weapon.
Game director Sebastian Kalemba had the following to say about the reveal:
We’re kicking off a brand-new Witcher saga, this time with Ciri as the heart of the story! It feels so good to finally be able to say those words. For the longest time, we knew we wanted Ciri as the protagonist of The Witcher IV. This game will explore what it truly means to become a witcher by following Ciri on her Path. The trailer offers a taste of this journey and showcases how dark and grounded the world of The Witcher can be.
This confirms that Ciri will be the lead character for the whole new trilogy. It also confirms that the game will be called Witcher 4, after all (previously known under the codename Polaris).
Overall, I have to say while I was impressed by the trailer — both visually and writing-wise — I’m not sure I like Ciri as the choice for the new lead character. For one thing, it means CDPR will have to offer a less-than-satisfying explanation for why Ciri’s magical powers are gone and she has to rely on the regular Witcher’s skillset.
But I will reserve my judgment until the game is actually released. What are your thoughts on Ciri as the new lead?
Gleb has played PC games since the late 1990s and has always enjoyed RPGs the most. He had tons of fun playing Witcher 3 and learning about the greater Witcher universe, so he made this website for news, guides, and other info related to the Witcher games, books, and cinematic universe. He travels the world as a digital nomad while working on website projects, kickboxing, and telling people how awesome intermittent fasting is.