Highlights

  • The Witcher franchise's success is tied to CDPR's games but rooted in Sapkowski's book series, offering untapped lore for Witcher 4.
  • Unseen monsters like zeugl and korred from the books could make an appearance in The Witcher 4.
  • Places like Nilfgaard, Zerrikania, Ofir, and Brokilon from the novels are all great potential game settings for the future.

The Witcher has become one of the biggest fantasy franchises of all time, in large part due to the immense success of CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Given that, each rare update the Polish developer delivers about its eventual Witcher 4 has been excitedly discussed.

However, the games would not be what they are without their source material, created by Andrzej Sapkowski in an eight-book saga. The Witcher's Continent is vast and full of content yet unexplored by the game series, leaving the fourth installment room for both plot and world-building. With the potential for a game as large as its predecessor, it's hard to imagine CDPR wouldn't take advantage of excess lore. After all, it's got big shoes to fill.

The Witcher monsters forktail leshy leshen succubus
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The Witcher Books Still Have Many Monsters Waiting in the Woods

Surprisingly, the books don't have many monsters. By Geralt of Rivia's time, as he tends to comment, previous witchers have already made many species extinct. However, the potential for The Witcher 4 to be well before Geralt's time has been long-speculated about, and if that comes to pass, gamers might see strange and rare creatures only briefly mentioned in the books.

Zeugl

The zeugl may be the most famous of unseen monsters, given Geralt's regular and amusing recollection of his fight with one in The Witcher 3. In the short story A Shard of Ice, Geralt battles this grotesque creature waist-deep in the sewers of Aedd Gynvael and has to vigorously bathe afterward to get the scent off.

Merpeople

Little is seen of the merpeople, but in the short story A Little Sacrifice, an entire city of a mysterious underwater race, Ys, is briefly seen when Geralt communicates with one of them. Ys threatens war with those on land, implying the existence of a new Witcher society on the Continent. From a world-building standpoint, this could affect sea trade and travel, ocean-based warfare, and opens up the possibility of ocean-dwelling monsters for witchers to face.

Korred

Korreds are mentioned in the novels as small, owl-like creatures. They were actually cut from The Witcher 3. While staying in Toussaint in the books The Tower of Swallows and The Lady of the Lake, Geralt encounters several extremely rare and intelligent creatures alongside the korred, such as a kilmulis, barbegazis, and a knocker.

The Uncharted Lands of The Witcher Saga

The Witcher games are beloved for their open worlds, and the sheer size of The Witcher 3's map contributes to the hundreds of hours it can take to complete the game. Still, the books and games mention a few large locations that players never get to see.

Nilfgaard

The Nilfgaardian Empire is a huge point of tension across the novels and the games. Since both mediums take place in the North, the looming threat of Nilfgaard's tremendous army is ever-present. As players have already seen much of the North as well as Toussaint, a vassal state of the empire, even the map of Nilfgaard really puts it in perspective. It would be hard to believe that a future game wouldn't take advantage of it.

Zerrikania

Zerrikania has a long history in the Witcher novels, from a complicated relationship with witchers to interesting matriarchal politics. Generally, it is said to be fervently uninvolved with the Northern Realms and Nilfgaard. With so much unexplored, Zerrikania is fertile ground for fresh ideas from CDPR.

Ofir

Ofir, or Ofier in the games, is barely mentioned in the books. CDPR gave it life with the Hearts of Stone expansion, as the main story is tied to an Ofieri prince's curse, Geralt meets Ofieri merchants, and other DLC events add to its history and culture. Heavily inspired by the Middle East, CDPR has already built Ofier's foundations, so it wouldn't be difficult to expand on it and take The Witcher further than its European roots.

Brokilon

Brokilon is an integral part of Geralt's early journey in the saga. It's also one of the most fascinating places in the series, as it is the only land unconquered by human forces by the time the titular witcher arrives (although significantly reduced in land). Fiercely protected by its dryads for centuries, it is home to flora and fauna that don't exist elsewhere. If the next Witcher installment takes place further back, there's a possibility of seeing Brokilon in its full glory, complete with a unique landscape and formidable monsters.

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The Witcher Novels’ Extra Lore Could Fill the Next Games

CDPR has generally treated the original Witcher lore well. Even with the liberties it took, it largely remains faithful to Sapkowski's vision of the Continent, from powerful themes on prejudice to the dark side of magical progress. Things the books briefly alluded to were passionately expanded, but there's still a mountain of potential beyond what's been done.

Elves

The Witcher's subversive interpretation of elves is one of its standout lore features. Namely, their kingdoms were systemically destroyed, and they face a great deal of oppression in Geralt's time, evident in all games. An early-era game could explore the downfall of the elves with more clarity and offer fleshed-out locations as opposed to the dilapidated ruins found all over The Witcher 3.

Higher Vampires

One of the most beloved characters of the books, the higher vampire Regis, made his reappearance in the Blood and Wine DLC. His presence in the saga alludes to a society so powerful that Geralt says witchers rarely take contracts on Regis' kind. CDPR took this and made higher vampires' history in Toussaint a major plot point, stating they had three tribes that occupied different parts of the world and introducing how they kept humans as livestock. This fresh canon practically hands a future Witcher game a terrifying boss.

Witchers

Perhaps the most obvious expansion on lore would be the heightened presence of witchers themselves. If The Witcher 4 does in fact use a new protagonist, it may be a customizable witcher. The Witcher 4's initial tease included a medallion for what CDPR confirmed was the new School of the Lynx. It's only natural to ask how this plays into larger witcher history. Additionally, more witchers means more monsters, an obvious bonus to a game about killing them.

While Geralt of Rivia's story has already come to a satisfying end, fans of The Witcher need not be disheartened. Sapkowski delivered a vibrant world, and CDPR isn't done exploring it. There is a remarkable wealth of content that's nearly or completely untouched, so CDPR is far from short on material.