The Witcher 4 is set to be a brand-new direction for CD Projekt Red’s long-running series. For the first time in a mainline Witcher, Geralt of Rivia is stepping to the side and letting Ciri take up the mantle as the series’ new protagonist. The developer is also coming off of Cyberpunk 2077, its first non-Witcher game, which gave the team room to spread their wings and try new ideas. Now that it’s circling back to The Witcher, I’m hopeful that CD Projekt Red will deliver a few important updates to the series’ formula, incorporating aspects from Cyberpunk and using the new protagonist as a starting point for innovation.
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1) Expanded Gear and Crafting
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt had all kinds of gear for Geralt to hunt down, but some of it required players heading into monster-infested areas they might not be ready for to acquire it. I’d like to see Ciri’s gear upgraded more through crafting than exploration.
This could give players the ability to create armor that suits their playstyle without forcing them to look up a guide to see where their next upgrade comes from. By giving players default gear that they can upgrade, CD Projekt Red would let players grow with their gear, potentially making it feel more important.
2) More Involved Romance Options
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I used Hjalmar for the image above, but I’m not picky about who Ciri romances. Instead, I’m more concerned about the depth of whichever romantic choices CD Projekt Red gives us with our new protagonist.
To be clear, that doesn’t mean Geralt’s romances didn’t matter. I just want to see Ciri’s romantic choices have a bigger impact on the main storyline. It would be fantastic to see CD Projekt Red explore what happens when Ciri has to choose between saving the world and the love of her life. As the developers grow as storytellers, I’d love to see them tackle meaningful love stories while looping them into the main tale.
3) Powerful Sorcery Builds
The Witcher has always had magic in the mix, but Ciri’s Elder Blood should open up more avenues for gameplay. I’ll talk more about combat below, but we need to see Ciri’s powers have an impact on gameplay and the story.
That means giving Ciri new options for traversal and puzzle-solving. It could also extend to dialogue. Could Ciri use telepathy to read a Gwent player’s mind? The possibilities are nearly endless.
4) Deeper Customization Choices
The Witcher 3 let players customize Geralt’s hair and beard, so The Witcher 4 should build on that. We’ll almost certainly be able to style her hair, but why not add further customization, giving us the ability to change her eye shadow or even give her new tattoos?
Building on the idea of expanded crafting, I’d also like to see some options for the look of her gear. Geralt could make a few changes, but the developers should blow out the customization with Ciri. That lets players make their version of Ciri, helping them connect even more with the character.
5) Improved Combat Variety
I touched on using Ciri’s Elder Blood magic in combat above, but I would love to see CD Projekt Red give combat even more variety. We’ve already seen Ciri using a chain on her wrist to fight off a monster in the reveal trailer CD Projekt dropped at the 2024 Game Awards.
Using that as a launching point, it would be a blast to see what new types of weapons Ciri could incorporate into her arsenal. Mixing in the more powerful magic, and you have a character that should feel very different from Geralt.
With that in mind, I’d like to see the team move combat toward a more action-heavy focus. The Witcher 3 fell somewhere in between action and RPG, but Ciri’s combat style should be more fluid and dynamic than Geralt’s. She isn’t the same tough, battle-tested warrior, so it would be weird if CD Projekt didn’t make any major changes.
We need a Ciri who feels agile and stylish. I want a game that looks closer to classic Devil May Cry, turning Ciri into a whirling dervish of death. That doesn’t mean The Witcher 4 should go full-on action game, but moving the needle in that direction would help differentiate Ciri’s trilogy from Geralt’s, an important step for turning her arc at the helm into a success.
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