With the bulk of CD Projekt RED’s work on Cyberpunk 2077 having wrapped up (upcoming updates notwithstanding), The Witcher 4 is the next game that the developer will be focusing on, with nearly half the studio now working on the next instalment in the fantasy RPG series. And according to game director Sebastian Kalemba, the game will serve as “an excellent entry point” for newcomers.
Speaking in a recent interview with Lega Nerd, Kalemba said that though CD Projekt RED will obviously make sure that The Witcher 4 (or whatever it ends up being called) will remain consistent with the franchise’s lore, the studio wants to ensure that it isn’t making something that’s too similar to previous instalments. As per Kalemba, though the game – which “won’t be out for some years” – will continue to appeal to series fans, it will also serve as a jumping off point for those who have never played a Witcher game before.
“We want to continue on the same path we’ve taken, but we don’t want to make the same game,” he said (via Wccftech). “I think that’s a given. We’ve got some lore elements that must be kept. After all, it is still the same universe, and we can’t go beyond certain limits.
“Therefore, we must follow a very specific path and innovate on that. At the same time, it’s clear that we have to try to appease a new public. The Witcher 4 won’t be out for some years, and it’ll be a long time since the previous one, so we cannot just target the audience already fond of the saga. We must also build a new community. On that note, I believe I can say it’ll be an excellent entry point for many players, without forgetting the long-time fans who still wish to follow Geralt’s adventures.”
Kalemba’s mention of “fans who still wish to follow Geralt’s adventures” – which suggests the original trilogy’s protagonist will return in some capacity – is certainly intriguing, since The Witcher 3’s second expansion, Blood and Wine, very conclusively brought his story to a close.
Meanwhile, Kalemba also went on to say that with The Witcher 4, CD Projekt RED will continue to try to “break boundaries” and deliver something fresh for the RPG genre, while also delivering a more “intense” story and gameplay experience compared to The Witcher 3.
“Our priority is always trying to break boundaries. We want to go beyond them,” he said. “We want to try and do something new compared to what’s currently in roleplaying games, especially since we work within that genre and target RPG fans. I can’t say too much, as you can guess, but the idea is to build something that surpasses The Witcher 3, telling a more intense story and crafting a more intense gameplay as well.”
The Witcher 4, which is internally codenamed Polaris, will kick off a new trilogy for the series, and unlike past titles, is being built on Unreal Engine 5.
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