The upcoming installment in CD Projekt Red’s renowned action-RPG series, The Witcher 4, is unlikely to launch before 2027, according to information revealed during an earnings call on Tuesday. The Polish game developer has indicated that the title will not be available by the end of next year.
The Witcher 4 Expected to Debut After 2027
The studio’s update suggests that fans may wait some time before The Witcher 4 makes its debut. CD Projekt Red has stated that a specific release date will not be announced in the immediate future.
In a response to an investor inquiry during the FY 2024 earnings conference, CD Projekt CFO Piotr Nielubowicz explained, “All we could share for now, to give more visibility to investors, is that the game will not be launched within the timeframe of the first target for the incentive program, which ends 31st of December 2026.”
This announcement implies that a 2026 release for The Witcher 4 is highly improbable, with 2027 emerging as the earliest possibility. If development experiences changes or delays, the title’s launch could extend to 2028, coinciding with the anticipated release of next-generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft, both of which are reportedly slated for 2028. A recent report suggests that a new Xbox console might debut as soon as 2027.
Given this timeline, The Witcher 4 might be designed as a cross-generational release, intended for both current-generation and next-generation consoles, in addition to a PC version. The game entered full-scale production in November 2024.
Initially announced in March 2022 under the codename Project Polaris, The Witcher 4 is expected to kick off a new saga for the franchise and serves as the first entry in a planned trilogy. The game is being developed using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5.
Players can expect to see Ciri step into the lead role as the main protagonist, while Geralt of Rivia takes on a more supporting character of sorts. The official game description highlights, “The Witcher 4 is a single-player, open-world RPG from CD Projekt Red. At the start of a new saga, players take on the role of Ciri, a professional monster slayer, and embark on a journey through a brutal dark-fantasy world. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, it aims to be the most immersive and ambitious open-world Witcher game to date.”
