Witcher 4 may be CD Projekt RED's next game

CD Projekt RED's next major AAA game should be set in the Witcher RPG series, the developer reiterates.

Back in 2016, CD Projekt RED outlined a new five-year plan that sees Cyberpunk 2077 and a big new AAA RPG both released by 2021. As of March 2018, that plan is still in place.

The studio is only working with two IPs, Cyberpunk and The Witcher, and there's no reason to speculate further, CD Projekt RED President Adam Kicinski said in a Pareto Securities stream from 2018.

"We've never said the new AAA RPG is a new IP. We've said in our strategy that we have two franchises--Cyberpunk and The Witcher. That's it for now. So speculating about another IP...there's no reason to speculate another IP. We're working on two franchises, full stop. So if there's another game it'll be Cyberpunk or The Witcher. Nothing else," Kicinski said in the presentation.

We originally predicted the mystery RPG would be an ambitious new chapter in the gritty medieval fantasy universe...but it may not star the gruff monster-slayer Geralt unless it's a prequel. CDPR has firmly said Geralt's adventures conclude in The Witcher 3.

CD Projekt RED's next game will leverage the full might of Cyberpunk 2077's new advanced technologies--a new powerful games engine, motion capture tech, and toolsets--that're used to create dynamic living, breathing cities full of radiant AI and real-time immersive quests.

As games development is a highly iterative process, everything the studio has learned and created with Cyberpunk 2077 will affect the following title. This means all the dazzling effects, environments, action, and mind-bending RPG chaos will be present in a new Witcher game...albeit in a different wrapper (swords and sorcery versus sci-fi grit).

But 2021 is fast approaching and development on Cyberpunk 2077 isn't yet complete. Unless the company is making two games at once--which it probably is--the unannounced Witcher game may miss its target.

We should get more details when CDPR announces its fiscal year earnings in a few days.

Here's an excerpt from CDPR's five-year plan:

Later years (2017-2021)

• Release of Cyberpunk 2077.
• Release of another AAA RPG title.
• Expansion of our core franchises with additional media content and product lines.
• Further active marketing and support for our earlier releases.
• Near-twofold expansion of the CD PROJEKT RED team. Creation of four individual teams, two of which will be tasked with development of games representing new segments.
• Establishment of new local branches of CD PROJEKT RED in key territories.