Witcher 4 Aimed for PS6 and Next-Gen Xbox, Release Not Before 2027

Fans of The Witcher series might need to exercise some patience, as CD Projekt has officially announced that The Witcher 4 won't be hitting the shelves until at least 2027. This revelation came during a financial call where the developers discussed their projections for future profits. CD Projekt stated, "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 announcement dashes any hopes of a release in 2024 or 2025, setting 2027 as the earliest possible launch date for the much-anticipated game. However, given the unpredictable nature of the video game industry, there's a possibility that The Witcher 4 might slip into 2028. The 2027 target suggests that the game could be designed with next-generation consoles in mind, such as the rumored PlayStation 6 and the anticipated Xbox Series X successor, along with an Xbox handheld. Whether The Witcher 4 will be a cross-gen title, similar to Cyberpunk 2077, remains to be seen. While it seems unlikely that it would work on the Nintendo Switch 2, the success of The Witcher 3 on the original Switch shows that anything is possible.

The Witcher 4 marks the beginning of a new trilogy set after the events of The Witcher 3, with Ciri taking the lead role instead of Geralt. In an exclusive interview with IGN ahead of The Witcher 4's reveal, executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga explained the decision to focus on Ciri, 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."

Geralt's voice actor, Doug Cockle, also expressed his enthusiasm for the shift to Ciri during an interview with IGN about the upcoming animated film, The Witcher: Sirens of The Deep. He said, "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 into The Witcher 4, IGN offers exclusive content including a trailer breakdown and an interview with CD Projekt, where the developer discusses strategies to avoid a Cyberpunk 2077-style launch disaster.

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