CD Projekt Red unveiled the highly anticipated first trailer for The Witcher 4 at The Game Awards, showcasing both narrative evolution and cutting-edge technical achievements in the beloved fantasy franchise.
The six-minute cinematic preview confirms Ciri as the main protagonist, depicting her noticeably aged from her previous appearance. Game director Sebastian Kalemba revealed that the new installment will follow Ciri's journey of becoming a full-fledged witcher, though fans noted Geralt's voice actor Doug Cockle makes a brief appearance at the trailer's conclusion.
On the technical front, the trailer demonstrates the capabilities of both Unreal Engine 5 and next-generation hardware. The footage was rendered using a specialized build of Epic's latest engine on an unreleased Nvidia GPU, with speculation pointing to the upcoming RTX 5090 series. This marks a major shift for the studio, which has transitioned from its proprietary REDengine to Unreal Engine 5 for future development.
The studio emphasized that The Witcher 4 will remain true to its single-player roots while promising the most expansive and detailed open world in the series' history. However, players may need to exercise patience - industry sources suggest the game's release could be scheduled for 2026 or beyond.
This reveal represents CD Projekt Red's commitment to advancing both storytelling and technical boundaries, as they prepare to explore the next chapter in The Witcher saga through Ciri's perspective.