The Witcher 4 has already written its name in the record books, despite the game likely being years away from release.
Officially announced as The Witcher 4 at the 2024 Game Awards ceremony, CD Projekt Red pulled the curtain back on its next mainline entry into the beloved dark fantasy franchise.
This comes after The Witcher 3 hit new heights for the Polish studio, reaching a mainstream level of success the team had not seen to that point, and earning its place as one of the most widely-celebrated games of all time.
The Witcher 4 Breaks Franchise Release Record
The Witcher 4 has broken the Witcher franchise release record for the longest gap between entries.
CD Projekt Red's upcoming fantasy RPG has already eclipsed the longest gap between new games in the series, being (3522 days and counting).
This breaks the previous record-holder The Witcher 3's mark of 1464 days between it and The Witcher 2's release. However, it has yet to set the record for the longest gap between CD Projekt releases as a whole.
That crown still belongs to Cyberpunk 2077 which was released on December 10, 2020 (1490 days ago as of writing). That game came out 2033 days after The Witcher 3, setting the in-house record for the longest wait between the studio's tentpole RPG titles.
With no release date in site for The Witcher 4, it very likely will surpass the mark set by Cyberpunk, making it the longest time between a CD Projekt Red full-scale RPG release.
These longer and longer waits between releases seem to be the norm in the industry for major triple-A titles. A game like GTA 6 will set a release record for Rockstar when it eventually sees the light of day, coming out more than a decade after GTA 5.
Below is a full list of mainline The Witcher titles and their gaps between released for comparison.
- The Witcher - The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (1296 days)
- The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (1464 days)
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - The Witcher 4 (3522 days and counting)
When Will The Witcher 4 Be Released?
While fans got a brief tease of The Witcher 4 to end 2024, that does not mean the game is anywhere close to release.
In the absence of new games, The Witcher franchise has been thriving with titles like the ongoing live-action Netflix series based on its dark fantasy work (a series that is currently awaiting its fourth season).
But that rising popularity outside the games has meant there are more Witcher fans than ever waiting for CD Projekt Red's next RPG.
Mere days before The Witcher 4 was officially unveiled at The 2024 Game Awards, game director Sebastian Kalemba revealed the game had only just "entered the full-scale production phase" of development:
"I'm thrilled to announce that 'Project Polaris' has entered the full-scale production phase! With new challenges just around the corner, it’s the talented and hard-working people who make me believe we can together make the upcoming Witcher Saga a remarkable experience. No stopping now! Stay tuned for what’s on the other side of the coin!"
This likely means the game is still several years away (likely for release somewhere around late 2027 or 2028).
But that is not the only Witcher game in development. CD Projekt Red previously announced they are working in partnership with fellow Polish studio Fool's Theory for a full-scale Witcher 1 remake.
While that game still has not seen any sort of pre-release marketing, it would not be surprising if it were to be released sometime before The Witcher 4 to tide fans over until the next mainline release.
The Witcher 4 is expected to release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
