CD Projekt Red’s narrative director Philipp Weber has confirmed that The Witcher 4 isn’t meant to surpass The Witcher 3. Instead, the team wants to honor its legacy and stay true to the elements that made it such a beloved RPG. Weber emphasizes that the goal is not competition with the past, but to deliver the best possible iteration of the series now, with modern storytelling tools and technical advancements.
Weber told GamesRadar+ that while many fans hope for a game that overtakes The Witcher 3, such comparisons are subjective. “Our goal is to at least live up to that legacy,” he said, “not necessarily to beat it,” focusing instead on the same storytelling philosophy and rich narrative that defined the earlier game.
In his view, preserving the Witcher DNA means grappling with dark fantasy themes, morally ambiguous choices, and grounded human drama. One Reddit summary highlighted that the decision to make Ciri the primary protagonist stemmed from narrative planning that began during the development of Witcher 3(and its Blood and Wine expansion), not as a recent pivot to chase popularity.
Fan concerns about sidelining Geralt have been addressed directly. Weber acknowledged that those who prefer Geralt should have valid concerns, but argued that the shift aligns with canon. Ciri’s place in the original novels and her character arc justify this evolution—something the team has been building toward for years.
David Cordero, Cinematic Animation Director, added that the main challenge is proving Ciri is as important as Geralt, if not more so. Creating that emotional weight in a character that hasn’t been the lead before poses a creative hurdle, especially for players strongly tied to Geralt’s legacy.
The studio is pushing a console-first development approach, learning from the launch issues of Cyberpunk 2077. Technical director Charles Tremblay confirmed the game was engineered to run at 60 fps with ray tracing on PS5, making it easier later to scale up for high-end PCs rather than scaling down poor console performance.
Weber says production is channeling the same “scrappy, deadline-driven energy” that made Witcher 3 successful, blending polish with practicality. This allows brutal realism, refined open-world design, and narrative focus to coexist without bloating the scope or timeline.
In summary, The Witcher 4 aims not to eclipse Witcher 3, but to stand on its shoulders—carrying forward the franchise’s essence with Ciri at the center, technical improvements, and storytelling courage. The message is clear: it’s about legacy, not competition.
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