"Witcher 4 Aimed for PS6 and Next-Gen Xbox, Release Expected Post-2027"

Don't hold your breath for The Witcher 4. According to CD Projekt, the game won't see the light of day until 2027 at the earliest. During a financial call discussing future profit projections, 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 means a launch in 2024 is out of the question, dashing the hopes of those who were anticipating it sooner. With 2027 set as the earliest release date, there's a possibility that The Witcher 4 could slip into 2028 if development faces any hiccups, which is not uncommon in the video game industry.

Looking at the timeline, it's likely that The Witcher 4 will target the next generation of consoles. Sony is already rumored to be working on the PlayStation 6, and Microsoft is reportedly eyeing a 2027 release for its Xbox Series X successor, alongside an Xbox handheld. This raises questions about whether The Witcher 4 will be a cross-gen title, similar to Cyberpunk 2077 which launched in December 2020 across multiple platforms. If it is, could we see a version for the Nintendo Switch 2? While it seems unlikely, given that The Witcher 3 made it to the Switch, we can't rule it out entirely.

Here's what we know for sure: The Witcher 4 is the first in a new trilogy set after the events of The Witcher 3, and it shifts the focus from Geralt to Ciri as the protagonist. In an exclusive interview with IGN ahead of the The Witcher 4 reveal, executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga explained why Ciri was chosen: "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."

In January, during an interview with IGN about Netflix's upcoming animated film, The Witcher: Sirens of The Deep, Geralt's voice actor Doug Cockle expressed his support for the shift to Ciri: "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, addressing concerns about her appearance.

The Witcher IV Game Awards Trailer Screenshots

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For more on The Witcher 4, check out our exclusive content including a trailer breakdown and an interview with CD Projekt where they discuss why The Witcher 4 will avoid a Cyberpunk 2077-style launch disaster.