The Witcher 4: Everything Confirmed So Far

Update, September 29, 2026: CD PROJEKT RED now says The Witcher 4 is targeting a 2028 release window. Joint CEO Michał Nowakowski described 2028 as a target, not a confirmed release date. Read the report at PC Gamer.

The Witcher 4 Is Coming Here’s What CD Projekt Red Has Confirmed

Ciri takes the lead in CD Projekt Red’s next open-world Witcher saga, with Kovir and Unreal Engine 5 already revealed, but there is still no official release date.

CD Projekt Red is building the next chapter of The Witcher around a new lead.

The Witcher 4 will star Ciri as its protagonist, beginning a new saga following the events of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The studio has already revealed the game's cinematic direction, shown technology powering its open world and confirmed that development is well underway.

However, one major question remains unanswered: when will The Witcher 4 actually release?

As of August 2026, CD Projekt Red has not announced an official launch date.

Ciri Leads the New Witcher Saga

Ciri was officially confirmed as the protagonist when The Witcher 4 debuted at The Game Awards in December 2024.

The cinematic reveal showed her taking on a witcher contract and established that the new saga will follow her journey as a professional monster slayer.

It represents a major change for the series after Geralt of Rivia served as the central character throughout CD Projekt Red's original Witcher trilogy.

For The Witcher 4, the studio now has an opportunity to explore the world from Ciri's perspective while giving the new saga its own identity.

The Witcher 4 Remains an Open-World RPG

CD Projekt Red describes The Witcher 4 as a single-player, open-world role-playing game.

That means the next mainline entry is still being built around the RPG foundation players associate with the franchise rather than becoming a multiplayer-focused spin-off.

Detailed information about quests, progression, alchemy and the final combat system has not yet been revealed.

Kovir Has Entered the Spotlight

One of the biggest glimpses at The Witcher 4's world arrived during the State of Unreal presentation in 2025.

CD Projekt Red and Epic Games demonstrated Unreal Engine 5 technology using Kovir, a northern region of the Witcher universe that has not previously been fully explored as a playable area in the series.

The presentation followed Ciri and her horse Kelpie through forests and mountainous terrain before reaching the port settlement of Valdrest.

Kovir's appearance confirms that players will explore new parts of the Witcher world, although CD Projekt Red has not said that the entire game will take place there.

Unreal Engine 5 Powers The Witcher 4

The Witcher 4 also marks a major technological change for CD Projekt Red.

The studio is moving away from its previous REDengine technology and developing the game with Unreal Engine 5 in partnership with Epic Games.

Its 2025 technical demonstration highlighted large environments, dense vegetation, crowds and open-world streaming technology.

The presentation was demonstrated on PlayStation 5 at 60 FPS.

However, players should not mistake it for finished gameplay. CD Projekt Red specifically identified the presentation as a technical demonstration rather than actual gameplay.

Final graphics and performance could therefore change before release.

When Will The Witcher 4 Release?

There is currently no confirmed release date for The Witcher 4.

CD Projekt Red has confirmed that the project entered full production after completing pre-production, and development remains active.

CD PROJEKT RED has since given a target: the studio says The Witcher 4 is targeting a 2028 release window. That is a target rather than a confirmed date, so any specific release date circulating online should still be treated as speculation.

Pricing, editions and final system requirements also remain unconfirmed.

Why The Witcher 4 Matters

NEXTARCA Analysis: The biggest challenge facing The Witcher 4 isn't simply producing better graphics than The Witcher 3.

It needs to establish why Ciri's saga deserves to stand alongside Geralt's.

Changing the protagonist, exploring locations such as Kovir and moving to Unreal Engine 5 gives CD Projekt Red room to evolve the franchise without completely abandoning what made the previous games successful.

Ciri could be especially important to that evolution. Her abilities and background give the studio opportunities to create combat and progression systems that feel different from Geralt's traditional witcher style.

The question is how far CD Projekt Red will take those differences.

What's Next?

CD Projekt Red has not announced when the next major Witcher 4 presentation will happen.

The next meaningful reveal will likely give players a clearer picture of the actual gameplay, combat, exploration and RPG systems being developed for Ciri's adventure.

For now, the confirmed picture is clear:

Ciri is taking over the Path, Kovir is part of the journey, Unreal Engine 5 is powering the new world and the release date remains a mystery.