CD Projekt Red may have changed Ciri's face in the latest Witcher 4 reveal

Update (27/02/25): CD Projekt Red Game Director Sebastian Kalemba has confirmed on X that Ciri's character model has not been modified between the reveal trailer and the behind-the-scenes footage. He explained that the differences stem from raw, in-engine footage without cinematic effects like lighting or animation, noting the propensity for visual variation across trailers, 3D models, and in-game footage.

Original Article:

CD Projekt Red unveiled the first cinematic trailer for The Witcher 4 two months ago. One of the key talking points following the release was the face model for Ciri, which featured an older, more grizzled version of the character compared to her look in The Witcher 3. Following the latest behind-the-scenes breakdown, discussions are circulating around whether CD Projekt Red adjusted Ciri's face model in response to the mixed reception.

At timestamps 02:17 and 05:48 in the new video, the developers included a closer look at the character model. Compared to the original pre-rendered Unreal Engine 5 trailer, there are perceivable differences in texture detail, facial structure, and shading - subtle shifts that could stem from lighting conditions or natural refinements in the development process.

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While the differences seem minor, Ciri's look does come across as slightly younger and more defined than in the original reveal. The lighting setup could be responsible, but it's also common for cinematic trailers to have subtle discrepancies from in-game models. This was evident in The Witcher 3, where Geralt's cinematic appearance had slight variations from his in-game counterpart.

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CD Projekt Red confirmed in the behind-the-scenes footage that 14 days of motion capture were used to craft Ciri's look for the initial trailer, meaning her performance-based facial animation is likely closer to the actor's actual performance. The final in-game model will be influenced by factors like real-time rendering and animation constraints over the 80+ hours of gameplay expected in a modern Witcher entry.

With still years to go before The Witcher 4 launches, plenty of visual refinements are bound to happen. However, given CD Projekt Red's history of responding to fan feedback, it wouldn't be surprising if adjustments were made based on player reactions.

What do you think - do you notice a difference?