Community Hype and CDPR’s Next Big Test
The Witcher fan community is buzzing with excitement about returning to this world, especially with Ciri as the protagonist. Since her playable segments in The Witcher 3, many players have hoped Ciri would eventually get a starring role – and now it’s official. Across forums and social media, fans are speculating about everything from Ciri’s combat style to which ending of The Witcher 3 is canon.
Overall, the reaction has been very positive: Ciri is a well-loved character, and players are eager to step into her shoes and see how she develops as a witcher. There’s also intrigue about exploring a post-Witcher-3 world and possibly encountering the consequences of Geralt’s deeds from the previous games.
That said, the community is also cautiously optimistic. CD Projekt Red’s last major release, Cyberpunk 2077, launched in a rough state and shook players’ trust. Many Witcher fans are mindful of this history and are voicing that they’d rather the studio take all the time necessary to get The Witcher 4 right. “We’ve waited since 2015 for a new Witcher – we can wait a couple more years if needed,” is a common sentiment.
The good news is CDPR seems to be on the same page. Their transparent communication about “learning good practices” from Cyberpunk’s missteps – like not marketing too early and ensuring realistic goals – has been well received. When news broke that The Witcher 4 likely wouldn’t arrive until 2027, the general fan response wasn’t anger, but relief that the team is prioritizing quality over rush. Community comments have overwhelmingly been along the lines of “take your time, we want another masterpiece” rather than demands to hurry up.
There’s also a sense that The Witcher 4 is CDPR’s next big test to fully regain its golden reputation. Witcher 3’s success put the studio on the map as an RPG powerhouse; Cyberpunk’s stumble tarnished that image somewhat (even though, to CDPR’s credit, they turned Cyberpunk 2077 around with patches and the acclaimed Phantom Liberty expansion). Now, Witcher 4 presents a chance to combine the hard-earned lessons with the company’s core strengths.
If CDPR delivers an amazing, polished Witcher experience, it will solidify them again in fans’ hearts. The community’s expectations are certainly high – Witcher 3 is often ranked among the best games of all time – but they are also rooting for the developers to succeed. Few studios generate the level of passion and scrutiny that CD Projekt does, and the fans are very much along for the ride on this new saga.
Another aspect of community discussion is how Witcher 4 will compare to its predecessors. The Witcher 3 set a very high bar for world-building, storytelling, and side quests; naturally, fans hope Witcher 4 can recapture that magic (and perhaps even top it). From what’s been shown, CDPR is doubling down on narrative depth and player choice, which bodes well. Meanwhile, people also compare Witcher 4’s development to Cyberpunk’s.
The switch to Unreal Engine 5 is widely seen as a positive move – many in the community think using a proven engine will help avoid the kind of technical issues that plagued Cyberpunk’s custom engine. Plus, the fantasy Witcher setting is CDPR’s home turf, so there’s confidence they can nail the atmosphere and lore consistency.
