Though it took a while to really take off in the US and hit the mainstream, The Witcher is now one of the most popular fantasy franchises out there, with a beloved series of video games and a great Netflix adaptation already under its belt. So, with this rise in popularity in the last few years, it only makes sense that CD Projekt Red would want to return to its Witcher roots. But along with another Witcher game, CD Projekt has also just announced that, for the first time in series history, the next Witcher title will feature a multiplayer component.
After CD Projekt Red fumbled the release of Cyberpunk 2077, the gaming industry was pretty sure that the once-beloved developer would be taking a bit of a break to recover. However, CD Projekt has been working tirelessly on updating Cyberpunk 2077, trying to make it the game that was promised before launch. Well, the developer's efforts seemed to have paid off, as Cyberpunk 2077 has just recently had a sudden influx of new and returning players, sparking the studio to announce a sequel to the game alongside the subtle announcement that both it and the previously-confirmed Witcher sequel will be getting some form of multiplayer mode - though this could mean a few things for the monster-slaying game.
What Multiplayer in the Next Witcher Could Look Like
CD Projekt Red, via Twitter, has just announced a pretty expansive slate of upcoming games, set in both the Cyberpunk and Witcher universes. Three separate Witcher games are currently in development at the studio, including a sequel trilogy that follows on from The Witcher 3, another open-world Witcher RPG being developed by an unconfirmed third-party studio, and an unknown Witcher game being worked on by The Molasses Flood. In this announcement, CD Projekt Red also included a subtle note that read, "Introducing multiplayer to most of our new games to enrich the single-player experience."
This statement seemingly confirms that at least some of these new Witcher titles will have some form of multiplayer component. With all three of these Witcher projects stated to be story-driven, single-player focused experiences, it seems most likely that any multiplayer components will be secondary to the main gameplay loop of each title. That being said, there are a few different ways that CD Projekt Red could incorporate multiplayer in the Witcher series.
By far the most exciting way to incorporate multiplayer in future Witcher games would be to allow multiple players to jump into one big open-world together. It would be a little tricky to figure out, but having 2-4 fellow Witchers explore The Continent together, rescuing townsfolk, slaying monsters, and getting embroiled in local politics is the ideal way to introduce multiplayer in the Witcher series.
Alternatively, CD Projekt Red could take some inspiration from Dark Souls and Deathloop and introduce an invasion mechanic. Players could invade another Witcher's game and take on the role of a boss monster, giving the Witcher a tougher challenge to face. Or, players could take on the role of a Witcher from another school, and try to race the other player to kill the monster and claim the prize before them, with an intense game of cat and mouse breaking out once the player has the monster's trophy and is on their way to town to collect the reward.
Unfortunately, the most likely scenario is that future Witcher titles will add a multiplayer component to their mini-games. For instance, Gwent was one of the most beloved aspects of The Witcher 3, and it'll probably be seen again in the sequel. It only makes sense that CD Projekt Red would want to make Gwent multiplayer in the actual Witcher games themselves, just as it is in the standalone spinoff.
More Witcher games are in development.