Since its release in 2015, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has been praised as one of the best RPGs of all time. The interesting characters, captivating world-building, lovingly crafted side-quests, and huge DLCs won over players internationally. In the six years since its launch, The Witcher 3 has only increased in popularity, thanks in part to Netflix's successful 2019 adaptation. Fans have speculated for years about what's next; however, a fourth installment of The Witcher series is likely years away and that's probably for the best.

The President of CDPR, Adam Kicinski, has essentially dispelled rumors of a new game specifically called "The Witcher 4." Geralt of Rivia's story was neatly wrapped up with the game's second DLC, "Blood and Wine," and it's unlikely that he will be the protagonist in an upcoming game. That doesn't mean that the universe will be altogether abandoned, however. There are many existing characters like Ciri, the Lady of Space and Time, who would make great future protagonists. Alternatively, CD Projekt Red could invent an entirely new character to headline the game.

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It's all but confirmed that another franchise installment is in CDPR's future, with Kicnksi claiming that The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077 are the two worlds it will be focusing on for upcoming CDPR games. Not only is The Witcher 3 still popular on its own, but it would also make sense to capitalize on the positive fan response to the Netflix show. In addition to existing fans, CDPR has the chance to bring in a fresh audience.

That said, no official announcements about a new The Witcher game have been made. CDPR's primary focus for the past couple years has been Cyberpunk 2077, which was finally released last December after several delays. Because of The Witcher 3's success, fan expectations were incredibly high; Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the most highly anticipated games of 2020 alongside The Last of Us Part 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake. 

Unfortunately for CDPR, the Cyberpunk 2077 release didn't go as well as hoped; numerous unresolved bugs and poorly optimized console versions dominated the conversation around its launch. There were so many complaints that Sony ultimately decided to remove Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store, and it still hasn't been brought back. The developer has apologized for the disastrous release and promised quick patches and free DLCs down the line, but many players are still unsatisfied with the state of the game and the disappointing Cyberpunk 2077 launch experience.

Even after its release, the developer is still working hard on Cyberpunk 2077 to deliver the promised patches and DLCs. The game is out, but the project is far from done. Cyberpunk 2077 is likely to remain CDPR's primary focus for quite some time. Additionally, executives will want to make sure the events from the Cyberpunk 2077 release aren't repeated. When a new The Witcher game is released, fans will expect the same level of quality they experienced with the existing trilogy. The stakes are high, and the developer will face a lot of pressure to deliver.

Ultimately, a fourth Witcher game is still a rumor. It's highly probable, but still unknown. While this may be disappointing to the millions of fans anxiously awaiting more, it's probably a good thing in the long run. After the difficult Cyberpunk 2077 release, CDPR has a lot of work on its plate.

Even though fans would like to see a new The Witcher game as soon as possible, most will agree that they would rather have a great game than a rushed one. There's no real reason to rush development; The Witcher 3 is still popular, and the Netflix show will hopefully continue to gain traction with future seasons and spin-offs. Whenever CDPR decides to continue with The Witcher franchise, it will have a huge audience waiting and should emphasize quality over speed.

The Witcher 3 is available now on PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X versions are expected in 2021.

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