The Witcher IV

The Witcher IV is the next mainline entry in CD Projekt Red's Witcher series and the first game in a new Witcher saga. The project was previously known by the codename Project Polaris.

CD Projekt Red describes the game as a single-player, open-world role-playing game set in a brutal dark-fantasy world. The new saga shifts the central role to Ciri, who is presented as a professional monster slayer and the heart of the new story.

Overview

The Witcher IV is developed by CD Projekt Red and built with customized Unreal Engine 5 technology. It entered full-scale production in November 2024 after an extended pre-production period under the Polaris codename.

The game has no announced release date. CD Projekt has said it is not planned for release before the end of 2026, placing the earliest possible release window beyond that point.

Reveal

The Witcher IV was formally revealed at The Game Awards 2024 with a cinematic trailer. CD Projekt Red described the trailer as a first look at Ciri as protagonist, taking on a witcher contract in a remote village haunted by a monster tied to ritual sacrifice.

The trailer was pre-rendered in a custom build of Unreal Engine 5 using assets and models from the game. It should be treated as a cinematic target and narrative introduction, not direct gameplay footage.

Technology And Setting

The game is being built on Unreal Engine 5 through CD Projekt Red's long-term technology partnership with Epic Games. A later technical presentation showed the open-world technology pipeline in Kovir, including dense forests, large-scale streaming, crowd systems, and animation work. The official site clearly labels that presentation as not actual gameplay.

Kovir and the port town of Valdrest are the first major locations shown for the new game. The full world map, complete cast, and final gameplay systems remain part of CD Projekt Red's ongoing reveal cycle.