CD Projekt Red joint-CEO Michał Nowakowski announced in a video posted to social media on Monday that The Witcher 4 is "targeting" a 2028 release window. "I know it's a bit of a wait, and you'd love to play it sooner, but let the team cook," he said. "It will be worth the wait." Nowakowski also confirmed the game will not be shown at Gamescom this week, though the studio plans other announcements and has teased "a surprise or two" for its livestreams running August 25-30.
According to Nowakowski, more than 500 developers are working on The Witcher 4, which he described as the studio's "biggest, boldest, and most ambitious game to date." He said the game will feature a huge and immersive open world, intense and action-packed gameplay, and a deep, impactful story. The game centers on Ciri, who takes over as protagonist from Geralt of Rivia; Ciri will be voiced by Ciara Berkeley, replacing Jo Wyatt, who voiced the character in The Witcher 3. The Witcher 4 was first announced at the Game Awards in 2024.
The 2028 window follows earlier statements from CD Projekt Red that the game would not arrive by the end of 2026, though the studio had not previously specified a target beyond that. The studio has said it hopes to release a trilogy of new Witcher games within a six-year span, which would put a third game around 2034 if The Witcher 4 lands in 2028. By comparison, the original Witcher trilogy took eight years to release, from 2007 to 2015, and outlets noted that game development timelines industry-wide have generally lengthened since then.
Multiple outlets pointed out that the word "targeting" leaves CD Projekt Red room to adjust the date, drawing comparisons to the multiple delays the studio issued for Cyberpunk 2077 before and after its troubled launch. Commentators suggested the studio likely wants to avoid repeating that situation and may take additional time if needed. One outlet also noted that, even with the 2028 target, The Witcher 4 would likely still arrive before The Elder Scrolls 6.
In the meantime, CD Projekt Red is turning attention to Songs of the Past, an expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt announced in May. The expansion, which stars Geralt rather than Ciri, will get a full reveal at Gamescom's Opening Night Live on August 25. Nowakowski teased that it will include a "dark story" and introduce a new continent, and sources reported the expansion is being developed by a team as large as, or larger than, the one that made The Witcher 3. It's expected to release sometime next year on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, and it remains unclear whether its story takes place before or after the events of The Witcher 3.