CDPR Addresses "Valid" Concerns Over The Witcher 4's New Protagonist: "It Was The Natural Evolution"

It wasn't exactly a huge surprise when a trailer for the next installment of CD Projekt Red's Witcher series debuted at 2024's The Game Awards--players have known The Witcher 4 was in the works for a while now. But one detail did catch some viewers off guard: The silver-haired witcher featured in the new trailer wasn't the iconic Geralt of Rivia, it was his adoptive daughter, Ciri.

Naturally, players took to the internet to share their thoughts. Although CDPR doesn't care much for the opinions of players who are simply upset about the fact that the upcoming game's main character is both female and fully clothed, the devs do have a message for genuine fans of the franchise who say they're going to miss playing as Geralt.

"I think we definitely knew it could be controversial for some people because of course, in the previous three Witcher games Geralt was the protagonist, and I think everyone really loved playing as Geralt," Narrative director Phillip Weber said in a recent interview. "I really loved playing as Geralt, so I think we're aware that if some people think right now that they would still prefer to be Geralt, I do think that’s a legitimate concern, so if this is where that concern [about Ciri] is coming from, that's valid."