The future of CD Projekt Red’sWitcherseries is looking bright, with several upcoming games for fans to look forward to. The studio may have taken a bit of a hit in recent years thanks to itsCyberpunk 2077misadventures, butThe Witcherremains a tried and tested property that players are eager to get back to. With a remake on the way, an untitled multiplayer game set in the same universe, and the much-anticipated Project Polaris to kickstart a new trilogy in development, gamers seem almost spoiled for choice when it comes to newWitchercontent.
However, although the gaming community may be excited to dive into a new chapter in the beloved world ofThe Witcher,kicking off a new saga that could potentially make some significant changes to the formula that fans are used to is fraught with risks. The nextWitchertitle may have a ready-made player base thanks to the success and popularity of the previous games, but that also means it has some die-hard fans to impress as well. Some players may welcome a change in direction and a game that leaves behind the narrative trappings of the last trilogy, but it might still be hard to let go of fan-favorite characters like Geralt in order toforge ahead with a newWitcherworld.
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The Witcher’s New Chapter
Besides recently confirming that thenext mainlineWitchergame is in development, CD Projekt Red has been tight-lipped about the first entry in the next multi-title saga. Fans know that it will be kicking off a new chapter for the franchise, and the teaser image of a medallion in the snow has already pointed toward a newWitcherschool as well. With a new AAA RPG trilogy on the horizon, players have been busy speculating on what this could mean for the direction of the series, dissecting every comment and hint from the studio to try and glean more information.
Details are scarce, but the choice of words used byCD Projekt Red could hint that the next lot of gamesare leaving some of the characters and settings that gamers are already familiar with behind. Swapping the beloved School of the Wolf presumably with the School of the Lynx as the medallion suggests could mean that Geralt is no longer the protagonist – a huge departure that would be a monumental change in itself. While it will be interesting to see what CD Projekt Red does with its popular property, some fans still have reservations about the change.
Potential Problems For The New Witcher Saga
A game’s success can live and die by its characters, and this can be especially true for an RPG. Games likeThe Witcherdepend on players getting immersed in the worlds their characters inhabit, and this was something the first threeWitchertitles nailed.The Witcher 3: Wild Huntin particularis hailed as one of the best action RPGs of the last decade, so expectations will be high for its sequel. Not only that, but some gamers will be attached to protagonist Geralt and his memorable allies in a way that will be heard for the nextWitcherto emulate, and embracing a new school, potentially some new settings, and likely a slew of new characters could make it hard for the sequel to find its feet.
Story concerns aside, players won’t be able to ignore the fact that CD Projekt Red’s reputation is very different now post-Cyberpunk 2077than it was whenThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntwas released. Following the conclusion ofThe Witchertrilogy and its incredibly well-received DLC, the developer was riding high and fans were looking forward to the sci-fi adventure that had been announced way back in 2012. But after delays and a highly-publicized and controversial launch,Cyberpunk 2077looked like it could tank CD Projekt Red’s reputation. Things have improved since then, but the fallout fromCyberpunk 2077might still affect the studio’s upcoming games like the nextWitcherfor years to come.
A newWitchergame is in development.
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