After the revelation that the next game in the Witcher series of games is the furthest along we decided to find everything we could about the upcoming game. Whilst the release is some way off it doesnt mean there arent tid bits of information to talk about which might let us know what we are in stall for. The new game, often referred to as The Witcher 4, is officially codenamed “Polaris” and marks the start of a new trilogy in the Witcher universe.

Development and Release

The game is in active development with CD Projekt Red significantly ramping up their team, aiming for a potential release in 2025. The move to Unreal Engine 5 from their proprietary REDengine is aimed at enhancing the game’s open-world experience, promising better graphics and more detailed environments. Presumably CDPR can make more efficient use of their talent, who will no longer be tasked with developing and maintaining their own proprietary game engine. UE5 has proven to be versatile and powerful so we can only see this as welcome news. It also comes with tools that fans can use, so we expect to see plenty of mods available, as long as CDPR support this of course.

Story and Setting

The end of Blood and Wine see Geralt’s story largely complete. Yes there are always new adventures to go, but the narrative inertia from the books and the Wild Hunt has been largely expended. Presumably Ciri will cononically be alive and, perhaps even living as a Witcher herself. We can see her taking the reins of the story, trying to find her place in the world, with Geralt taking the Vesimir role of wisened (albeit grumpy) teacher. The teaser image for the game features a lynx medallion, indicating a new Witcher school called the School of the Lynx. This suggests a departure from the previous games’ focus on the School of the Wolf and Geralt of Rivia. The School of the Lynx is largely a fan creation however so we wait to see what actually transpires.

Characters

While it remains unclear if Geralt will play a significant role, speculation hints at Ciri possibly taking the lead, especially given her association with the School of the Cat, a closely related concept to the Lynx.

Gameplay

CD Projekt Red aims to innovate with new RPG gameplay elements and mechanics, pushing the boundaries of what has been done before in the series. We can only hope that combat is given a refresh with that being perhaps the weakest element of the The Witcher 3 (its still good, its just not the strongest point of the game) They are also making efforts to ensure the game performs well on consoles from the start, learning from the issues faced during the launch of Cyberpunk 2077.

Additional Projects

Alongside Polaris, CD Projekt Red is working on other Witcher-related projects, including a remake of the first Witcher game (codenamed Canis Majoris) and another project (codenamed Sirius) that will feature multiplayer elements.

Overall, while much about The Witcher 4 remains under wraps, it is clear that CD Projekt Red is aiming for a high-quality, innovative addition to the Witcher series, leveraging new technology and exploring new narrative avenues, which will eventually lead to a new series of games for us all to enjoy. If they can reach the levels of quality seen in The Witcher 3 game then we are in for a real treat.

As more information is released we will keep this page updated.