CD Projekt Red is nudging The Witcher community into waiting before making ultimate judgments about Ciri’s new lead role in upcoming Witcher 4. One of the leading voices on the development staff, production manager Jan Hermanowicz, personally asked for restraint, asking players to withhold judgments until they have played the game for themselves. This request comes as debate and some backlash continue over switching from the fan favorite Geralt to his adoptive daughter, Ciri.
The reveal of a new Witcher game three years ago created enormous hype, and this was further augmented by the release of a six-minute narrative cinematic trailer during The Game Awards 2024. Though much as the trailer was appreciated for the dark fantasy world that it had established, Ciri’s outright statement as the protagonist of the game left everyone’s minds held in suspended animation and creating debate among the community. Though most fans welcome Ciri as a worthy heir to be the next trilogy’s leader, there is also a vocal portion who have protested against this change.
During his latest interview with GamesRadar+, Hermanowicz asserted that all criticism directed towards the judgments made on CD Projekt Red’s creative choices as misplaced. He was certain that after players have a chance to closely experience Ciri’s entry into the game’s world and gameplay, they would appreciate the depth of her character, something beyond the shock value presented by the initial trailer.
This appeal to balance comes in the wake of early comments by important voices belonging to the franchise. Doug Cockle, the seasoned voice actor of Geralt, had already dismissed early criticisms as “stupid” and himself expressed his own enthusiasm regarding a game with Ciri. Hermanowicz also echoed Cockle’s previous suggestions to the fans to “read the damn books,” suggesting that careful perusal of the source book would place Ciri’s promise as a Witcher and hero into better perspective.
In addition, CD Projekt Red studio head Adam Badowski more recently has described the development team’s intent to do something new and creative rather than simply to repeat the past success. This dedication to bringing new experiences to gamers is reflected in that shift in protagonist being only one part of a larger, changing vision for the franchise. The Witcher IV will be an open-world, single-player RPG, which will set up to start a new saga where gamers will play as Ciri, a seasoned monster hunter, traveling through a harsh dark-fantasy world, powered by Unreal Engine 5.
