CD Projekt RED has announced a new installment in the critically acclaimed franchise new saga for The Witcher series, with only a teaser poster of a medallion with cat-like features having been shown so far. This could signal a shift from Geralt to Ciri as the protagonist of the next installment of the series, since Ciri's medallion has cat-like features as well.
The Witcher franchise has been a major player in the video game industry, originally based on the books written by Andrzej Sapkowski. The most recent major installment in the game series, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, was released in 2015 and continues to see success years after its launch. A TV series adaptation separate from the games has also been released by Netflix titled The Witcher. The franchise has seen great deals of success and after Cyberpunk 2077's disastrous launch back in 2020, it had been expected that CD Projekt RED would return to The Witcher sooner rather than later.
Little is known about the new The Witcher project other than it'll be a "new saga" and CD Projekt has adopted Unreal Engine 5 for development following a partnership with Epic Games. This will give the game a brand new feel to players, as the past three games CD Projekt RED have developed within the past decade were on its own RED engine. This new Witcher series will mark the franchise's first dedicated next-gen offerings, following the release of a new upgraded version of The Witcher 3 sometime in 2022.
Ciri Being The Protagonist Of The Next Witcher Game Makes Sense
With Geralt's story in The Witcher now seemingly over, it would make sense for Ciri to be the main focus of the next game. The Witcher 3's Blood & Wine expansion seemingly tied up Geralt's story, ending off with him tending to a vineyard with one of the romanceable characters the players choose in the main game. Now that his story seems to have concluded and he's hung up the swords, a brand new Witcher game would be a great story to tell with Ciri as the lead protagonist. The character still has plenty of potential and she would be the perfect focus for a new trilogy of games. Ciri's medallion is also shown with more cat-like elements, much like the feline - possibly a lynx - seen in the teaser poster for the new game.
Ciri's story in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ends with one of three options. In what is considered the worst main ending of The Witcher 3, Ciri is tragically killed in a battle with the White Frost. In the second ending, which may be the best to continue her story, Ciri ends up as a Witcher. The final ending concludes with Ciri becoming the empress of Nilfgaard and its territories, living a life of luxury and royalty. The Witcher ending seems like it would be the best bet to continue a new trilogy if Ciri is to be the next protagonist of the game.
Following The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's climactic ending, Geralt has an opportunity to wind down and the torch to a new protagonist. It remains to be seen who will be the focus of this new The Witcher saga, and it might be a while until CD Projekt reveals more about the title. However, Ciri - having already been introduced in the previous trilogy - could be a perfect choice to lead it.
Source: The Witcher
