The Next Witcher Game Will Be a Fresh Start for the Franchise

The Witcher trilogy may have concluded, but developer CD Projekt Red has made it clear that it’s far from done with the franchise. A remake of the first game is currently in development as is another mainline project in the series. One thing that the developer has made clear is that the upcoming project is not The Witcher 4 and will begin a new story.

The story of The Witcher games primarily revolved around Geralt of Rivia, his mysterious memory loss, lovers, adopted daughter, and his involvement with the world at large. The setting of the games was vast and rich with different monsters to slay, people to run into, and places to explore. While it isn’t clear what direction the upcoming game will take, it will be a fresh start for the franchise if it opts to leave Geralt behind.

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How The Witcher 3 Ended Geralt’s Story In a Satisfying Way

The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt‘s multiple endings more or less concluded Geralt’s story for better or worse. One implied his demise after Ciri’s death while another had him resume his life on the road as a monster hunter. The other two endings see the character retire from that life and move in with one of his two sorceress love interests in comfort and luxury.

The Witcher 3 further proved that it was time for Geralt to retire with its Blood and Wind DLC, which also seemed to put a definitive cap on the character’s story. During the game’s final scene, Geralt openly acknowledges that it’s time to stop fighting and relax for a while before breaking the fourth wall and smiling directly into the camera. Following this scene, one of Geralt’s friends or lovers will arrive at his villa, further driving the point home that the character’s story has reached its natural conclusion. All of which points to the character staying out of the spotlight for the foreseeable future.

Why Geralt Keeping His Distance is Important for the Next Game To Feel Fresh

Currently, there is very little information on the upcoming project. Arguments have been made for and against Ciri being the star of the next Witcher game and the developer’s comments on the matter have fueled speculation that it will center on her. What is clear is that the game will kick off a new saga and have the opportunity to create a new seminal story. If it wants to do that it would need to keep Geralt away from the story.

Bringing Geralt back in the next Witcher would create a Batman problem for the character. It would be nigh impossible for other characters to have the spotlight if the next game insisted on keeping him around. Even having him around in an NPC role could potentially bring in his story and continuity baggage, which could detract from whatever story the next game would want to tell.

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If the next Witcher game does manage to resist having Geralt return as a playable or supporting character, the possibilities for it are endless. The game could opt to focus on a wholly new character who was completely removed from the events of the original trilogy. In addition, the game could also allow players to create their own character within the world, and not have to live in the shadow of the Butcher of Blaviken. All of which would give the franchise a new coat of paint.

In the end, there is no way to know what the developer has planned for the franchise. Full development on the new title, known as The Witcher: Polaris will likely start when Cyberpunk 2077‘s DLC, The Phantom Liberty wraps up but currently doesn’t have a projected release date. Regardless of what direction it goes, the upcoming Witcher game will likely be a fresh start for the franchise.

The Witcher 4 is in development.

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