With news of The Witcher 4 or, rather, the new Witcher saga being in development, fans are theorizing what the new title may entail. Most talk concerns who the new main character might be, whether CD Projekt Red will introduce a new playable Witcher or opt for the character creation route. However, another topic worth discussing is the setting.
The world of The Witcher is a dynamic one, often undergoing great change due to both cataclysmic events and political struggles. Thus, what the player experiences in the original Witcher trilogy is merely one part of what the greater universe has to offer. The new Witcher saga, then, has the potential to expose players to a new side of the game world, perhaps one very much detached from Geralt’s life.
The End of The Witcher 3 Blood and Wine DLC
After completing the main quests of Blood and Wine, the scene cuts to Geralt and Regis, sitting by a lake with the beautiful Toussaint as their backdrop. The two reminisce about the last time they were in Beauclair then discuss their plans for the future. After that, Geralt muses that he and the vampire should sit and drink a while longer. Regis happily obliges, replying with, “After all that toil, I believe we deserve a bit of a rest.” The scene then ends with Geralt turning to look at the player, a somewhat somber smile on his face.
This is how The Witcher 3’s Blood and Wine DLC ends, and it heavily suggests that it’s time to let the Butcher of Blaviken get some much-needed rest. Whether it’s from the Path or the franchise remains to be seen, though the news of The Witcher 4 hints at the latter. The new Witcher saga will likely feature a new protagonist, maybe one living a life that has little to do with Geralt of Rivia.
The Witcher Trilogy Ends, Something New Begins
The Witcher 3 was the conclusion to Geralt’s story, which explains why CD Projekt Red wants to move on to a new saga. This new Witcher saga would understandably want to set itself apart from the original trilogy. One way to do this is to detach the narrative from Geralt’s life and tell a completely new tale — perhaps one in another region of the world or even a different time. Doing so solidifies the upcoming game as a separate saga, allowing CD Projekt Red to introduce new characters, monsters, and other new elements to The Witcher’s lore.
That said, there’s no need to do away with Geralt’s character. In saying that the new game should be detached from Geralt’s life, it simply means that it shouldn’t touch on the events of the first three Witcher games too heavily, as these have already been concluded. The focus should be on the new saga, not the finished trilogy. As such, Geralt could still appear again in The Witcher 4, just as a minor character, though that will ultimately depend on the developer’s decision.
All in all, this new Witcher saga has so far been marketed as a new beginning for the franchise. If that’s the case, then fans can expect plenty of new additions to The Witcher universe — especially following CDPR and Andrzej Sapkowski’s renewed agreement from 2019, which “confers new rights” to the studio.
What these new rights might entail is unclear, but one thing’s for sure: CD Projekt Red seems to have been mulling over a new entry to The Witcher series since 2019. If it doesn’t center around Geralt, as many rumors believe, then there’s plenty of research and planning to be done to craft a worthy follow-up to the well-loved trilogy.
A new Witcher game is currently in development.