Witcher 4 Not Trying to 'Beat' Witcher 3? More Like 'Do It Justice,' Says Dev – But Can They?
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
CD Projekt Red says *The Witcher 4* isn't trying to beat *The Witcher 3*, but rather 'do justice' to its legacy, which sounds nice, but let's be honest, everyone's secretly hoping it'll be even better, right? Also, new Witcher 3 DLC is rumored to be dropping in 2026!
Right, so CD Projekt Red's Narrative Director, Philipp Weber, reckons *The Witcher 4* isn't aiming to dethrone *The Witcher 3*. Instead, they're going for a 'do justice' vibe. Now, I'm all for respecting your elders, but fair dinkum, is that enough for a sequel to one of the most beloved RPGs of all time?
According to Weber, in an interview with GamesRadar+, the goal is to keep the same philosophy that made *The Witcher 3* great: caring about the game, telling good stories, and, y'know, generally not mucking things up. He reckons it’s all about finding that 'healthy mix' of moving forward while not forgetting what made the original so special. Makes sense, right? You don't want to completely alienate the fanbase.
But here's the thing, *The Witcher 3* wasn't just a game; it was a bloody phenomenon. It sold over 68 million copies and racked up over 200 game of the year awards! That's like winning every lottery ever. So, saying you're 'not trying to beat it' almost feels like… selling yourself short? Or maybe it's just clever expectation management. Gotta admit, I’m leaning towards the latter.
The game's being built in Unreal Engine 5 and, as revealed at The Game Awards 2024, Ciri is stepping into the spotlight as the main character, which has caused a bit of a kerfuffle among fans. Some are stoked to see the Lion Cub of Cintra take centre stage, while others are worried it'll lose the Geralt magic. Jan Hermanowicz, the engineering production manager, did ask everyone to chill a bit, seeing as we've only seen a tiny glimpse of Ciri so far.
Charles Tremblay, CD Projekt Red's VP of technology, recently suggested that *The Witcher 4* is being developed with consoles in mind. This might not be the best news for PC players, especially considering the… *ahem*… less-than-stellar launch of *Cyberpunk 2077* on older consoles. Remember the bug-riddled mess? Ouch. Lessons learned, hopefully.
Now, I'm cautiously optimistic. CD Projekt Red *can* deliver incredible games. They've proven it. But aiming for 'doing justice' rather than 'blowing minds' feels a bit…safe? Maybe they’re just being realistic, or maybe they’ve got a few surprises up their sleeves that they're not telling us about. Either way, I’ll be watching this one closely. They also might release a new DLC for The Witcher 3 in 2026! What the heck? That's a curveball and is exciting news if it comes to fruition.
So, what's the takeaway? CD Projekt Red is trying to temper expectations while still promising a great game. Whether they can pull it off remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure: the pressure's on.
Tags: The Witcher 4, CD Projekt Red, RPG, Gaming News, Ciri
Original article: Game Rant