Could The Witcher 4 Be Targeting the PS6 and Next-Gen Xbox, Given It Won't Be Out Until 2027 at the Earliest?

Don't hold your breath for The Witcher 4. According to CD Projekt, the game won't be hitting the shelves until 2027 at the earliest. During a financial call discussing future earnings, CD Projekt stated: “Even though we do not plan to release The Witcher 4 by the end of 2026, we are still driven by this financial goal. And although it’s very ambitious, we stand a chance of achieving it within the given timeframe.” This firmly rules out any possibility of a launch in 2024 or 2025, setting 2027 as the earliest release date. However, considering the unpredictable nature of the video game industry, there's a chance The Witcher 4 might slip into 2028.

With a 2027 release window, The Witcher 4 is likely to be developed for the next generation of consoles. Sony is reportedly working on the PlayStation 6, while Microsoft is rumored to be planning a 2027 release for the successor to the Xbox Series X, alongside an Xbox handheld. This raises questions about whether The Witcher 4 will be a cross-gen title, similar to Cyberpunk 2077, which launched in December 2020. If it is, could we see a version compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2? While it seems unlikely, the fact that The Witcher 3 made it to the original Switch suggests that anything is possible.

Here’s what we know about The Witcher 4: it's the first installment in a new trilogy set after the events of The Witcher 3, and it will feature Ciri as the protagonist instead of Geralt. In an exclusive interview with IGN ahead of the The Witcher 4 reveal, executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga explained why Ciri was chosen: “It was always about her, starting from Saga when you read it in the books. She's an amazing, layered character. And of course, as a protagonist we said goodbye to Geralt previously. So this is a continuation. I guess for all of us it’s like she was meant to be. That was always her.”

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In January, as part of a broader interview with IGN about Netflix’s upcoming animated film, The Witcher: Sirens of The Deep, Geralt's voice actor Doug Cockle expressed his support for CD Projekt's decision to shift the focus to Ciri: “I'm really excited,” he said. “I think it's a really good move. I mean, I always thought that continuing the Saga, but shifting to Ciri would be a really, really interesting move for all kinds of reasons, but mostly because of things that happen in the books, which I don't want to give away because people, I want people to go read. So yeah, I think it's really exciting. I can't wait. I can't wait to see what they've done.”

In February, the director of The Witcher 4 clarified that a new video featured the same in-game model of Ciri, dispelling rumors that her appearance had changed.

For more in-depth coverage on The Witcher 4, check out our exclusive trailer breakdown and an interview with CD Projekt where they discuss how they plan to avoid a Cyberpunk 2077-style launch disaster.