The Witcher 4‘s narrative lead Philipp Weber understands why some fans are having trouble letting go of Geralt in the spotlight. He, too, didn’t want the iconic monster hunter to take a back seat in the upcoming game, but it’s alright, because Geralt will apparently “always have an important role.”
A loud contingent of fans upset that Ciri is taking over as the protagonist of The Witcher 4 have been making their displeasure very vocal online. Once a quest designer on The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, Weber’s now responded to one such fan.
“I understand that many people feel like this,” he tweets in reply to a player calling for Geralt to take Ciri’s place as The Witcher 4’s lead. Weber even says he “felt like that at the start,” so it’s CD Projekt Red’s “job to prove with W4 that Ciri will be a worthy main character for the game. We take that task very seriously!” And even if his gruff growl isn’t front and centre the entire time, “Geralt will always have an important role.”
Ciri’s role as protagonist has been a hot debate ever since the upcoming CD Projekt Red game‘s first proper reveal. Engineering production manager Jan Hermanowicz previously told GamesRadar+ that fans should reserve their judgement for after they’ve actually played the sequel. “When the game will be out, you’ll be able to see for yourself and fully embrace her character, her story,” he said last year.
The Witcher 4 won’t be ready until 2028, the developer recently clarified, but fans will have plenty to sink both their swords into until then. The Witcher 3 Remastered is coming out next month, and it’s free for all existing owners, which should be a good appetizer for the Songs of the Past expansion launching next year.
“After all this time, we get to show you more of Songs of the Past, a story long in the making,” Weber said of the long-awaited DLC. “Geralt’s adventure in Letten contains so much of our and especially our good friends at Fool’s Theory’s love for the Witcher. And for all our original fans, that chain is for you!!!”