The Witcher 4 Targets 2028: Everything CD Projekt Red Has Confirmed

The clearest update on The Witcher 4 is also a reminder that it is still years away: CD Projekt Red is targeting a 2028 release window, but the studio has not committed to a specific day or month. The next mainline Witcher game will begin a new saga with Ciri as its playable protagonist, and it will not be shown at Gamescom 2026. 12

The Witcher 4 release date: 2028 is a target, not a confirmation

CD Projekt Red joint CEO Michał Nowakowski said the studio is targeting a 2028 release window while stressing that it is not ready to share an exact date. That distinction matters: 2028 is the developer’s current plan, not a locked launch date, so the schedule could still change during development. 35

The announcement gives fans the first concrete timing update while preserving a substantial amount of uncertainty. There is no confirmed launch month, day, preorder date or detailed release schedule yet.

Platforms and game format

The Witcher 4 is expected on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, although final platform details should be treated as provisional until CD Projekt Red publishes its formal launch information. 1449

CD Projekt Red describes the project as a single-player, open-world RPG. That positions it as a large, authored role-playing adventure rather than a multiplayer service or a small-scale spin-off. 1819

Ciri is the new playable protagonist

The biggest creative shift is the move away from Geralt of Rivia as the central playable character. Ciri is the protagonist of The Witcher 4 and the figure at the center of the new saga. CD Projekt Red’s official announcement presents her as a monster hunter beginning her own journey through a brutal dark-fantasy world. 1819

That change does not erase Geralt from the setting. Doug Cockle is expected to return as Geralt, but reporting around the project makes clear that Geralt will have a supporting role rather than remain the main playable character. 5561

Ciri’s new voice actress

Ciara Berkeley voices Ciri in The Witcher 4, replacing Jo Wyatt, who voiced the character in The Witcher 3. CD Projekt Red confirmed the recasting after the reveal, describing Berkeley as an actor whose enthusiasm and vocal performance impressed the studio. 5663

What the first trailer revealed

CD Projekt Red unveiled The Witcher 4 at The Game Awards 2024 in Los Angeles with a cinematic trailer running almost six minutes. The trailer follows Ciri as she accepts a witcher contract in the remote village of Stromford, where residents are being terrorized by a monster demanding ritual sacrifice. 18

The cinematic was produced in cooperation with Platige Image. It establishes the tone and premise of Ciri’s new adventure, but it should not be mistaken for ordinary gameplay footage: the initial reveal was explicitly presented as a cinematic trailer. 1821

Why The Witcher 4 will not be at Gamescom 2026

The Witcher 4 will skip Gamescom 2026. Instead, CD Projekt Red is putting the spotlight on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Songs of the Past, an expansion planned for 2027. The studio has said the event will include a look at the expansion’s darker story and new content. 2710

That means Gamescom is unlikely to provide a new playable demonstration or major gameplay presentation for The Witcher 4. The absence is consistent with the game’s long development timeline and the studio’s decision to reveal only a release target rather than a precise date.

CD Projekt Red is asking fans to wait

Nowakowski has described The Witcher 4 as the studio’s “biggest, boldest, most ambitious game to date” and acknowledged that the wait will be long. His message to fans was straightforward: “let the team cook.” 1115

The wording is promotional, so it does not prove how large or polished the finished game will be. What it does establish is CD Projekt Red’s intended development posture: the company is presenting The Witcher 4 as a long-horizon premium RPG where scope and finish take priority over an imminent release.

The wider industry contrast

The Witcher 4’s extended development also contrasts with where gaming investment is concentrating in 2026. PitchBook’s Q2 gaming venture-capital report says funding is increasingly moving toward AI tooling, including world models and generative-media infrastructure, rather than directly funding individual games. 38

A separate report cited in the discussion puts first-half gaming deal value at roughly $7 billion, while noting that much of the activity is connected to AI tools and other infrastructure rather than traditional game production. 46 Those figures show that capital is still moving through the broader gaming ecosystem; they do not mean that investors are broadly returning to years-long development of premium single-player RPGs.

CD Projekt Red therefore represents a different production model: a large, authored adventure built around a defined protagonist, a new saga and a traditional single-player structure. For now, the practical takeaway is simple: The Witcher 4 is planned for 2028, Ciri is leading the story, and fans should not expect a precise date or Gamescom 2026 showcase yet.