Doug Cockle, the beloved voice of Geralt of Rivia in the Witcher games, has announced that he has prostate cancer. A little over a decade before Henry Cavill brought Geralt to life in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of The Witcher, Doug Cockle lent his gruff tones to the mutant swordsman and monster slayer for hire in CD Projekt Red’s three main series Witcher video games. Aside from Geralt, Cockle has appeared in TV shows like Band of Brothers, was an extra in Captain America: The First Avenger, and voiced characters in games like Terminator: Resistance and Ghost Recon: Breakpoint.However, it is his memorable performance as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher that has made Doug Cockle a household name among gamers. He has been highly praised for his work across all three games, and even won a Golden Joystick Award for his performance in 2015’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Naturally, many fans are hoping that Cockle returns to his role in the upcoming remake of the first Witcher game, but he admits that he doesn’t know much about the project or if the game will simply reuse his lines from the 2007 original. Doug Cockle alerted fans to some unfortunate news, announcing that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The Witcher voice actor revealed that this was discovered during a routine check-up, and that treatment is still ongoing. He assured fans that this treatment is looking good so far, while stressing that men over 50 get tested for prostate cancer regularly.
Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer found in men, and an estimated 1 in 9 men in the United States will be diagnosed with it during their lifetimes. Even worse, the early stages of prostate cancer have no symptoms, making check-ups like the ones The Witcher's Doug Cockle recommended all the more vital to those at risk. In the meantime, Cockle has been met with a wave of support from fans of The Witcher games since his announcement, with many expressing their sympathy and wishing him a speedy recovery.
Geralt of Rivia is one of the most popular video game protagonists in recent memory, and part of what makes him so beloved is Doug Cockle’s strong performance as a gruff and jaded mercenary that still maintains a deep code of honor across all three Witcher games. Hopefully Cockle is able to fully recover from his prostate cancer, and his story will encourage more people to screen regularly for this and similar cancers.
The Witcher 4 is in development.