The Witcher 4, the untitledWitchergame currently in development at CD Projekt Red, has been drawing speculation since it was first announced.The Witcher 3has already provided a neat ending to the originalWitchertrilogy, and its incredible popularity has helped CD Projekt Red grow massively as a studio.
One of the biggest questions that players have about the next game in the series is how it will change the classicWitcherformula. It’s already been made clear thatGeralt of Rivia won’t be the protagonist, but there could be an even larger change as well. It’s quite likely thatWitcher 4will incorporate some multiplayer elements, something that CD Projekt Red has been dancing around for the past few years.
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The Evidence for Multiplayer in The Witcher 4
The fact that CD Projekt Red is planning to introduce multiplayer into its flagshipWitcherseries isn’t in question. In late 2021 thecompany’s president Adam Kicińskiconfirmed that “we’re planning to add multiplayer functionality in the future to both franchises [WitcherandCyberpunk]”. The question is whetherWitcher 4will be the firstWitchertitle to receive that integration.
There’s some good evidence that it will be, including the other hints that the nextWitcherwill be taking the series in a different direction. CD Projekt Red has specifically not named the game in development asThe Witcher 4, making it clear that the three-game story arc thatended inThe Witcher 3is complete. This is reinforced by the Lynx Medallion that appeared in the announcement image, referencing a Witcher School that doesn’t exist in the current lore. If the School of the Lynx is important enough to be the first ever image of the newWitchertitle, then it’s likely that it’ll be taking center focus from Geralt’s School of the Wolf.
The final evidence forWitcher 4beingthe first CD Projekt Red game to introduce multiplayerfunctionality is thatCyberpunk 2077was meant to be that game. There’s still no news on the standaloneCyberpunk 2077multiplayer title, and players haven’t forgotten that the game was originally intended to launch with multiplayer elements included. The fact that this plan was made indicates that CD Projekt Red felt it’d be ready to step into the multiplayer scene several years ago.
The Evidence against Multiplayer in The Witcher 4
Although CD Projekt Red clearly felt confident enough to announcethe multiplayer elements inCyberpunk 2077, the fact that those elements never materialized may actually be the strongest evidence against multiplayer inWitcher 4. It makes sense that, followingCyberpunk 2077’s troubled launch and lack of promised features, the studio may be hesitant to make those same promises again.
This is particularly convincing due to Adam Kiciński making it very clear that CD Projekt Red was going to maintain its focus on singleplayer RPGs, and that the multiplayer elements would be introduced “gradually.” After thepoor reception ofCyberpunk 2077, a title that the studio clearly hoped would join theWitcheras its second big franchise,The Witcher 3remains CD Projekt Red’s flagship product.
The question is whether the studio would be willing to risk tarnishing the reputation of its most famous series by introducing experimental multiplayer. It’s quite likely thatCyberpunk 2077was meant as a test-bed for the features that would later be incorporated intoWitcher 4. However, given that those features were never added toCyberpunk, they remain untested, and incorporating them intothe nextWitchertitlecould be disastrous if they’re not well received.
A newWitchergame is currently in development.
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