CD Projekt RED Announces The Witcher IV Release Delayed Until 2027

Release Timeline for The Witcher IV: CD Projekt RED Confirms Long Wait

The excitement surrounding The Witcher IV heightened with its unveiling at The Game Awards 2024, leading fans to speculate a potential release soon. Unfortunately, CD Projekt RED has dampened those hopes by announcing that players will have to wait considerably longer.

Fiscal Conference Reveals Release Expectations

In a recent earnings conference for fiscal year 2024, the studio disclosed that the game’s release is not anticipated until at least 2027. Key highlights from the conference provided more clarity for investors:

“Regarding the expected release date for The Witcher IV, we are not going to announce the precise launch date for the game yet. All we could share for now to give more visibility to investors is that the game will not be launched within the timeframe of the first target for the incentive program, which ends on 31 December 2026.”

A Potential Clash with Competitive Releases

With The Elder Scrolls VI also on the horizon, there is a possibility that both highly anticipated RPGs may share the same release year, or at least come out within a short span of each other. Given Bethesda’s release history and their recent game, Starfield, hitting the market in September 2023, a late 2027 launch for their next installment seems plausible.

New Insights into The Witcher IV

Post-reveal, CD Projekt RED provided exciting details about the narrative direction of The Witcher IV:

Protagonist: Cirilla Fiona Riannon, known as Ciri, will take center stage as the main character, marking a shift from Geralt. The character’s growth as a novice Witcher will allow for greater player involvement. Notably, Ciara Berkeley replaces Jo Wyatt as the voice of Ciri.
Romantic Elements: Players can look forward to engaging, meaningful romantic interactions throughout the storyline.
Gwent Returns: The popular card game Gwent will be featured once again in this new chapter.
Game Size: While the game will be comparable in scale to The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, the developers emphasize the importance of quality over mere size.

CD Projekt RED’s Financial Insights

In its financial report, CD Projekt RED announced impressive revenue figures, reaching nearly $260 million in 2024, demonstrating resilience despite the absence of new game releases. Their net profit marked the third-highest for the company, a notable achievement in tough economic times.

Moreover, the studio shared plans to acquire complete control of The Molasses Flood, the Massachusetts-based developer currently working on a Witcher spin-off titled Project Sirius. This move comes after the previously announced reboot of the project, and the full integration of The Molasses Flood into CD Projekt RED is on the horizon.

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