CD Projekt RED explains why Ciri as the star of The Witcher 4 was “logical”

Although CD Projekt RED had been hinting at it for a long time, many fans were surprised that it is Ciri who will star in the upcoming The Witcher 4. The next action RPG from the legendary studio made its splendid debut at the recent The Game Awards 2024, with a 6-minute trailer that delighted those who were able to enjoy it, but Geralt’s replacement did not convince everyone. The studio wanted to make it clear that it was the “very organic, logical choice.”

Geralt of Rivia’s time has already passed, something that could practically be seen coming since The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, in which Ciri already showed enough aptitude to take the lead, being in fact a playable character in numerous sections of the game.

“It was always about her, starting from Saga when you read it in the books.” said Małgorzata Mitręga, executive producer of The Witcher 4. “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 addition, they assure that being a younger character than Geralt from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, players will have more possibilities when it comes to shaping Ciri’s character. “She’s actually about to become the Witcher,” director Sebastian Kalemba said. “She’s about to actually form her own codex, but on her own terms. The way she actually deals with the monsters, the way she deals with quests, the adventures, it’s her own unique way. And also I think that she gives more room to be able to tell different stories here and there. Of course, we want to give the opportunity for the player to explore more nuance because this is what we do. But she deserves that.”

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What’s more, Kalemba hints that after The Witcher 4, more installments may arrive with her as the protagonist. “There was an intention behind this choice. It was far from roulette. It wasn’t random. I remember we had discussions nine years ago, we were talking about who’s next? The very, very instant answer was Ciri. There are many reasons behind that. We’ve already mentioned a few. But she really deserves a stage and we want players to really experience her story because she has so much to tell, so much to prove. The amount of challenges that are in front of her give us so much amazing energy and fuel to create an epic saga that we had no choice but to go with it. We all felt that this is the way. I believe this is the super right choice.”

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