Home
Breaking News

CDPR Confirms Witcher Ciri Trilogy in Six Years | UE5 Power

CDPR Confirms Witcher Ciri Trilogy in Six Years | UE5 Power
Concept art of Ciri from The Witcher series, highlighting her importance in the upcoming trilogy.

Gaming juggernaut CD Projekt Red has reaffirmed its audacious plan to deliver the entire new The Witcher trilogy, centered on fan-favorite Ciri, within an incredibly tight six-year timeframe. This monumental commitment, revealed during a recent financial call by Joint CEO Michał Nowakowski, sets an unprecedented pace for AAA game development and promises an exhilarating future for fans of the beloved fantasy franchise.

The Six-Year Saga: A New Era for The Witcher

CD Projekt Red’s ambition for its upcoming The Witcher saga is nothing short of groundbreaking. Joint CEO Michał Nowakowski explicitly stated during a recent financial update that the studio’s strategy remains firmly set on launching all three titles in the Ciri-led trilogy within a concentrated six-year window. Nowakowski articulated, “future The Witcher video games should be delivered in a shorter period of time,” underscoring the company’s confidence in this accelerated development cycle.

This aggressive timeline marks a significant departure from previous Witcher installments. For context, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt arrived four years after The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. If the new trilogy’s releases are spaced equally, fans could anticipate a new Witcher title every three years following The Witcher 4's debut, a swift cadence in today's demanding AAA landscape.

Unreal Engine 5: Powering the Rapid Evolution

The key enabler for this ambitious schedule, according to CD Projekt Red, is the foundational shift to Unreal Engine 5. Nowakowski highlighted the extensive integration:

  • Unreal Engine 5 is being utilized for the full production of not just The Witcher 4, but also The Witcher 5 and The Witcher 6.
  • Development on The Witcher 4 using UE5 has been ongoing for nearly four years, yielding impressive results visible in a recent Unreal Fest tech demo.
  • The studio is highly satisfied with Epic Games' advancements in UE5 and their own progress in adapting it for vast open-world experiences, as The Witcher 4 is designed to be.

This deep familiarity and ongoing collaboration with Unreal Engine 5 are expected to streamline the development process across the entire trilogy, reducing the traditional ramp-up time between successive titles.

Projected Timeline and Looming Challenges

While the commitment is firm, specific release dates remain fluid. CD Projekt Red has confirmed that The Witcher 4 will not launch in 2026, making 2027 the earliest possible debut. With 447 developers currently focused on The Witcher 4 – a slight increase since July – production is in full swing, indicating its priority within the studio. If The Witcher 4 were to hit shelves in late 2027, an illustrative timeline suggests:

  • The Witcher 4: November 2027 (projected)
  • The Witcher 5: 2030 (projected)
  • The Witcher 6: 2033 (projected)

However, CD Projekt Red acknowledges the inherent complexities. The industry is in a period of intense transformation, with potential console transitions looming. Furthermore, the studio is simultaneously balancing other significant projects, including the highly anticipated Cyberpunk 2 (currently behind The Witcher 4 in development), a remake of The Witcher 1, and various other IP-related ventures. Fans eagerly awaiting The Witcher 4 should temper expectations for immediate news, as the game was notably absent from The Game Awards. The last public glimpse was the stunning Unreal Engine 5 tech demo from June.

Despite these considerable undertakings, CD Projekt Red’s resolve to deliver a complete Witcher trilogy within six years signals an exciting, albeit challenging, era for one of gaming’s most revered franchises. The stage is set for a new generation of Witcher adventures, promising an incredible journey for fans in the coming decade.