The Witcher 4: Aiming for PS6 and Next-Gen Xbox by 2027?

Fans eagerly awaiting the next installment of the beloved The Witcher series will have to exercise patience, as CD Projekt has announced that The Witcher 4 is not expected to be released until 2027 at the earliest. This revelation came during a financial call where the developers discussed future profit projections, stating, "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 timeline effectively rules out any hopes for a 2024 or 2025 launch, setting the earliest possible release for 2027. However, given the unpredictable nature of the video game industry, there's a possibility that The Witcher 4 might slip into 2028.

With a projected release in 2027 or later, The Witcher 4 is likely to target the next generation of consoles. Speculation is rife about Sony's plans for the PlayStation 6 and Microsoft's rumored 2027 release for the Xbox Series X successor, alongside whispers of an Xbox handheld. This raises the question of whether The Witcher 4 will be a cross-gen title, similar to Cyberpunk 2077, which launched across multiple platforms in December 2020. While a version for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S seems feasible, the idea of The Witcher 4 on a potential Nintendo Switch 2 might stretch credibility, though the precedent set by The Witcher 3 on the original Switch suggests that surprises can happen.

A significant change in the narrative direction for The Witcher 4 is the shift from Geralt to Ciri as the protagonist. This move marks the beginning of a new trilogy set after the events of The Witcher 3. In an exclusive interview with IGN before the game's reveal, executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga explained the decision, stating, "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."

This sentiment was echoed by Geralt's voice actor, Doug Cockle, in a January interview with IGN about Netflix's upcoming animated film, The Witcher: Sirens of The Deep. He expressed his excitement about the shift to Ciri, noting, "I'm really excited. 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 any confusion about changes to her appearance. For those eager to dive deeper, IGN offers exclusive content including a trailer breakdown and an interview with CD Projekt, where the developer discusses strategies to avoid a repeat of the Cyberpunk 2077-style launch disaster.

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