With every possibility on the lips of speculative fans, The Witcher 4 has already garnered a substantial amount of buzz. Precious little has been confirmed, but what does exist spells excitement fresher than a witcher’s kill. Among those things is the witcher school gamers will play as.
In a promotional poster released by CD Projekt Red in early 2022, fans see a witcher medallion half-buried in the snow, shortly after confirmed to belong to the School of the Lynx. With the most prominent protagonist rumor of The Witcher 4 being a brand new, customizable hero, examining the lynx itself brings forth strong suggestions for gameplay.
The Witcher 3: All 8 Witcher Schools Explained
Everyone knows that Geralt hails from the School of the Wolf, but there are many other schools in The Witcher 3 with their own history and style.
A Lynx Witcher Might Be What TW4 Needs to Freshen Up
The Continent’s Witcher Schools Succeed in Reflecting Their Animals
Little canon has been established regarding witcher schools other than Geralt of Rivia’s iconic School of the Wolf, as the Witcher novels only mention a Cat and Griffin as existing. CDPR massively expanded the number of them, influencing different in-game builds, but now shifts focus to an entirely original school with its own history — one that players might even have a hand in creating.
That being said, there are subtle differences found in The Witcher games that could lead to early discoveries about the new lynx. Witcher schools seem to be informed by their chosen animal and have separate combat styles, and therefore Geralt's in-game builds vary widely. For example, the School of the Bear favors heavy armor and strength over agility and the School of the Griffin utilizes more magic than others. And yet a brand-new school would not be restricting, as one might think, but open things up to a world of customization, especially given an examination of the lynx cat.
Traits of the Lynx May Define TW4 Gameplay
Firstly, lynx are solo predators, becoming independent at a young age. This could very well indicate the new protagonist is a younger witcher learning for the first time instead of the series’ usual fare. Those hoping for a Ciri-led Witcher game could somewhat get their fix this way, not playing the grizzled and experienced slayer but someone who learns organically as the level.
Lynx are nocturnal, and known for being excellently stealthy stalkers. While it might be difficult to implement a focus on nighttime hunts, a mechanic in the game that comes with nocturnal buffs might still be interesting. Such an addition would lend itself aesthetically to this gritty fantasy world, as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s most memorable quests and settings, such as Velen, came from the dark and dreary.
Lynx are also known for having exceptional hearing and eyesight. Witchers already have heightened senses, including the ability to see in the dark, but this trait might speak to enhanced witcher senses. Better yet, it would splendidly justify a more advanced witcher mutagen tree. A large disappointment about the buffs in TW3’s Blood and Wine DLC is simply that they came so late in the game, but this possible Lynx approach to physical progression would make strength feel more earned.
Possible Features of the Lynx Spell a Great Future for CDPR
With such strong support for the customizable witcher theory regarding the new protagonist, that route is looking more appealing by the day. For starters, it would follow CDPR’s other beloved RPG, Cyberpunk 2077, in character customization — a favorite feature in the genre by itself. And it would do so while completely bypassing the issues that would undoubtedly arise from trying to fill Geralt’s shoes with an existing character in the franchise, which is arguably the most challenging hurdle to continuing the series that created the developer’s fame.
Regardless of what CDPR eventually brews up, The Witcher 4 remains one of the most discussed games ahead of its far-future release, and for a developer that pays so much loving attention to detail, it would serve gamers well to more closely examine what they have presented.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 93 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- May 19, 2015
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Engine
- REDengine 3
- Cross-Platform Play
- yes
- Cross Save
- yes
WHERE TO PLAY
- Expansions
- The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone, The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine
- Franchise
- The Witcher
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- verified
- How Long To Beat
- 52 Hours
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- X|S Optimized
- yes
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
