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The Witcher 4 developers have responded to fan concerns about shifting the spotlight to Ciri as the new protagonist. At the same time, they remain vague on whether current-gen consoles will be able to run the game smoothly. Read more for the latest updates.
The Witcher 4 Development Insights Shared by CDPR
Ciri's Role Sparks Debate – Developer Response
In a recent interview with VGC on December 18, The Witcher 4 narrative director Phillipp Weber acknowledged that replacing Geralt with Ciri as the main character could spark controversy among fans.
Given that Geralt has been the central figure in all previous Witcher games, this shift naturally raised eyebrows. “I think we definitely knew it could be controversial for some people because, of course, in the previous three Witcher games Geralt was the protagonist, and I think everyone really loved playing as Geralt,” Weber admitted.
Although he personally shares fans' attachment to Geralt and recognizes the legitimacy of their concerns, he firmly believes that choosing Ciri is the best creative direction. “The best thing that we can do—and I think this is really our goal—is to prove that with Ciri, we can do a lot of interesting things so we can really make it worth it. This decision wasn’t made yesterday; we started making this a very long time ago,” he explained.
Weber further elaborated that Ciri’s role had already begun evolving into a co-protagonist in both the novels and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. For CDPR, transitioning her into the lead felt like a natural progression of the series’ development over time. He also noted that this change opens up opportunities to explore new perspectives within the Witcher universe.
Executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga added that the team understands the passion behind player opinions and emphasized that many lingering questions—like what happened to Geralt after The Witcher 3—will be addressed once the game launches. “Everyone has the right to have an opinion, and we do believe it comes from the passion for our games. I think the best answer for that will be the game itself when it’s released.”
That said, Geralt isn’t entirely absent from the story. As revealed last August 2024, his voice actor confirmed that Geralt will still appear in The Witcher 4, though in a smaller capacity. This paves the way for new characters and returning favorites alike. [ttpp]
For more details on Geralt’s return, check out our dedicated article. You can also visit our The Witcher 4 hub for the latest news and updates.
Uncertainty Around Console Performance
During another interview with Eurogamer on December 18, director Sebastian Kalemba and narrative director Phillipp Weber were asked about the possibility of running The Witcher 4 on current-gen consoles. Unfortunately, no concrete information was provided.
“Yes, we are working on a new engine right now, together with Epic's engineers, and there is a great synergy and collaboration between us,” Kalemba confirmed. “Currently, we're working on Unreal Engine 5 and our custom build. Obviously, we want to support all platforms—PC, Xbox, and Sony—but I cannot tell you more specifics regarding that at this time.”
He did note that the reveal trailer serves as a useful benchmark for the visual goals of the project. While it doesn't represent the final in-game graphics, it does reflect the artistic direction and level of detail the team is aiming for—similar to what was shown during The Game Awards presentation.
A New Development Strategy for Smoother Launches
Back in November 29, CDPR vice president of technology Charles Tremblay spoke with Eurogamer and shared how the studio is adjusting its development approach to avoid repeating the rocky launch of Cyberpunk 2077.
To ensure better performance across devices, the team is building the game on hardware with the lowest specifications—such as consoles—before scaling up. This strategy aims to guarantee smoother gameplay experiences regardless of platform.
Additionally, CDPR plans to launch The Witcher 4 simultaneously on PC and consoles, although exact console support remains unconfirmed. While the developers haven’t specified which consoles will be compatible, they have assured players that optimization for a wide range of systems—including low-end consoles and high-end PCs—is a top priority.
