CD Projekt RED Explains Why Ciri Is The Protagonist Of The Witcher

Summary

• Ciri is the protagonist in The Witcher 4, replacing Geralt, as a natural continuation in the franchise’s storyline.
• Developers chose Ciri as the protagonist due to her complexity and the opportunity for unique storytelling compared to Geralt.
• CD Projekt RED planned for Ciri to take the lead in The Witcher 4 nine years ago, aiming to provide players with a new and immersive experience.

While The Witcher 4’s official reveal at The Game Awards didn’t show a second of gameplay, it did confirm one thing: Ciri will be the protagonist of this new adventure in the franchise.

If you’re wondering why Geralt is taking a backseat this time around, you’re not the only one. We already know the character will appear in the game (thanks to the voice actor’s slip up), so why are we following his adventures? Developer CD Projekt RED has an explanation, though I’m unsure whether The Witcher fans will be OK with it.

The Witcher 4 Will Feature Ciri As The Protagonist, Replacing Geralt

In an interview, The Witcher 4 executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga said that Ciri was the “very organic, logical choice,” adding, “It was always about her, starting from Saga when you read it in the books. She’s an amazing, layered character. And of course, as a protagonist we said goodbye to Geralt previously. So this is a continuation. I guess for all of us it’s like she was meant to be. That was always her.”

The game’s director, Sebastian Kalemba, also mentions that because Ciri is younger than Geralt, they will be able to explore the character with more freedom compared to Geralt. “She’s actually about to become the Witcher. She’s about to actually form her own codex, but on her own terms. The way she actually deals with the monsters, the way she deals with quests, the adventures, it’s her own unique way. And also I think that she gives more room to be able to tell different stories here and there.”

CD Projekt RED is aware of a potential backlash from gamers about this decision, but before any raises their pitchforks and thinks the developers have put Ciri in the main role due to some agenda, that’s not the case, as the studio has always seen Ciri as the protagonist of The Witcher 4.

Kalemba states, “There was an intention behind this choice,” and confirms Ciri’s role in the franchise was discussed nine years ago. “It was far from roulette. It wasn’t random. I remember we had discussions nine years ago, we were talking about who’s next? The very, very instant answer was Ciri. There are many reasons behind that. We’ve already mentioned a few. But she really deserves a stage and we want players to really experience her story because she has so much to tell, so much to prove.”

There’s a lot of time between now and the game’s release, so we should learn more about Ciric as we near the game’s release. When that is, we don’t know for now, though it’s highly improbable that’s going to be in 2025, as the game just entered full production recently.