With an explosive new trailer for The Witcher 4, CD Projekt Red’s biggest series is back on the scene, with Ciri, Geralt’s adoptive daughter and new witcher, as the protagonist. Whether speculations on the timeline or where it takes place, The Witcher 4 has conjured endless conversation in the few days since its announcement.
There’s a lot to take from only a few minutes of Ciri in action, with some things familiar to Witcher fans and others seemingly brand new. Not unlike the Continent’s magic, the very air is buzzing with the freshness of the upcoming Witcher saga and what that really means for gameplay.
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The Witcher 4 Teases Return of Fan Favorite Feature
The developers behind The Witcher 4 hint that a popular feature from past entries might be in the cards to make a return in the upcoming sequel.
The New Witcher Series Could Revive Itself with Combat Changes
As TW4 is the start of a new Witcher saga for CDPR, and Ciri has several abilities Geralt doesn’t, the devs are bound to switch things up. At the same time, the studio needs to strike a balance, as TW3’s combat was one of its strongest and most immersive aspects, so it shouldn’t do away with everything. In the Witcher 4 trailer, there are several things that point to the new and the old.
The Witcher 4 Showcases Familiar Elements from the Third Game
For starters, the basic witcher build is there: two swords, witcher signs, and potions. Given the success of the existing combat system, and steady improvements on The Witcher’s alchemy across games, it makes sense that these would return. However, it implies one thing about Ciri herself, which has generated a lot of discussion online already.
In The Witcher novels, Ciri can neither cast signs nor drink potions, the latter being because she didn’t undergo the Trial of the Grasses, the dangerous ritual that turns boys into monster-killing mutants. Although it’s currently unclear precisely how CDPR has allowed Ciri, as a grown woman, to receive these mutations, she can nonetheless partake in one of the most exciting witcher abilities. This also opens the door for changes to the possible mutation tree.
There is also the matter of Ciri’s Elder Blood. The Witcher 3 established what these powers look like, as Ciri can travel space and time without obstacle, blinking short distances and effortlessly teleporting between worlds. Unfortunately, this is not visible in the trailer, but the characteristic bright green is in The Witcher 4 logo and, of course, Ciri’s eyes. Considering a core facet of her story in TW3 is that she is desired for her powers, and they introduce a fun and powerful new ability when she becomes playable, CDPR would be unlikely to remove this entirely without a good story reason to do so (such as in TW3 when the Wild Hunt could track her when she used them).
CDPR Possibly Introduces Complex Changes to Witcher Abilities
One notable absence from TW4 trailer is a crossbow, Geralt’s primary ranged weapon in the previous games, slung across his back beside his swords. However, wrapped around Ciri’s left arm is a chain, which she deploys toward the end of the trailer’s fight. In a thrilling sequence, she not only uses it to restrain the giant monster but eventually imbues it with fire. This could be a witcher sign enhancement or, somewhat shockingly, spellwork.
Spellcasting would be lore-friendly while introducing the biggest combat change of the franchise. Witcher players have never moved beyond witcher signs, which in-game sorceresses will even say is “rudimentary.” Yet Yennefer canonically taught Ciri the basics of magic, and the trailer shows hints of this. When Ciri is restrained by the creature, she channels running water into her hand, which rears into an impressive lightning-infused punch.
It looks like the newest CDPR behemoth is going to tackle major changes for the sake of a new saga, keeping things fundamentally fresh from the beloved (and now retired) Geralt of Rivia. But it still needs to include what made CDPR successful in the first place, satisfying long-time players who, perhaps, are not quite ready to move on. If nothing else, The Witcher 4 has incredible ambition, and the outcome seems to be arriving sooner than gamers thought.
The Witcher IV is a single-player, open-world RPG from CD PROJEKT RED. At the start of a new saga, players take on the role of Ciri, a professional monster slayer, and embark on a journey through a brutal dark-fantasy world. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, it aims to be the most immersive and ambitious open-world Witcher game to date.