Gwent notwithstanding, it has been quite a while since fans have gotten any new Witcher content, a side effect of the scope and attention to detail CD Projekt Red imbues in its titles, along with its most recent foray into Cyberpunk 2077. With Cyberpunk's core team moving on to Project Orion, the rest of CD Projekt Red's studios have honed back in on its flagship franchise, with a veritable smorgasbord of new games set in the universe of The Witcher announced for the not-so-distant future.
A lot has changed since The Witcher 3 took the world by storm back in 2015, both in the landscape of the industry, and in CD Projekt Red. At the time, The Witcher 3 was lauded as a high watermark for the open-world RPG genre, with unprecedented nuance and depth to its main story and side quests, told with a prose that expanded upon Sapkowski's source material without ever diluting it. The final act of The Witcher trilogy, the evolution in game design and storytelling over the course of the series remains some of the best evidence to suggest this incoming deluge of new The Witcher games will be truly spectacular.
The Dimeritium Goblet Runneth Over
CD Projekt Red laid its cards on the table during a reveal in 2022, teasing five new titles in varying stages of development all set in the world of The Witcher:
- Project Polaris: a new mainline saga for the franchise, with its first game in the trilogy ostensibly being The Witcher 4.
- Project Canis Majoris: a top-to-bottom remake of the first Witcher, being elevated from its 2007 origins to a more contemporary standard.
- Project Sirius: a genre-diverging, multiplayer-focused Witcher game, developed by Molasses Flood.
Beyond the games, Netflix has not slowed production on its own Witcher content, with seasons four and five moving full-steam ahead, even as Henry Cavill is stepping out of the role of Geralt, now played by Liam Hemsworth. In addition, the latest animated feature, The Witcher: Sirens of The Deep, is set to release later in 2024. As one of the premiere franchises in Netflix's catalog, and on the heels of a potential gaming renaissance for The Witcher, it is a safe bet that the streaming service has big plans for everybody's favorite monster hunter.
School of the Witcher
Charting CD Projekt Red's growth as a studio and publisher, it's worth mentioning the learning experience that was Cyberpunk 2077's sordid state at launch. A fall from grace as a studio that previously, in the eyes of its fans, could do no wrong, the disparity between what was promised and what was delivered dealt a massive blow to the reputation it had fostered over the previous decade. CD Projekt Red would go on to spend time and resources reclaiming that good will, slowly but surely patching Cyberpunk 2077 into the game it was meant to be, culminating in the Phantom Liberty DLC being every bit as commendable as its two exceptional expansions for The Witcher 3, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine.
Now, with the accumulation of all its learned spending years in the industry, both in and out of favor, CD Projekt Red is in prime position to bring forth a golden era of The Witcher. Ditching its in-house engine in favor of Unreal 5, and charting the franchise's forecast for what could be the next decade, there has never been a better time to be taken in by the franchise. Project Polaris' initial game will be first-up, with the Witcher remake to follow, giving players the opportunity to preview where the series is going before going back to where it all began, setting the stage beautifully for this Witcher renaissance.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
You are Geralt of Rivia, mercenary monster slayer. Before you stands a war-torn, monster-infested continent you can explore at will. Your current contract? Tracking down Ciri — the Child of Prophecy, a living weapon that can alter the shape of the world.
PLAY AS A HIGHLY TRAINED MONSTER SLAYER FOR HIRE
Trained from early childhood and mutated to gain superhuman skills, strength, and reflexes, witchers are a counterbalance to the monster-infested world in which they live.
Gruesomely destroy foes as a professional monster hunter armed with a range of upgradeable weapons, mutating potions, and combat magic. Hunt down a wide variety of exotic monsters, from savage beasts prowling mountain passes to cunning supernatural predators lurking in the shadowy back alleys of densely populated cities. Invest your rewards to upgrade your weaponry and buy custom armor, or spend them on horse races, card games, fist fighting, and other pleasures life brings.
EXPLORE A MORALLY AMBIGUOUS FANTASY OPEN WORLD
Built for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth, and complexity. Traverse a fantastical open world: explore forgotten ruins, caves, and shipwrecks, trade with merchants and dwarven smiths in cities, and hunt across the open plains, mountains, and seas. Deal with treasonous generals, devious witches, and corrupt royalty to provide dark and dangerous services. Make choices that go beyond good & evil, and face their far-reaching consequences.
- 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
- Expansions
- The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone, The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine
- Franchise
- The Witcher
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- How Long To Beat
- 52 Hours
- Metascore
- 94
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
