CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher IV Targeting Release After 2026

Following the massive success of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which is still widely regarded as one of the greatest role-playing games ever created, anticipation for the next installment — The Witcher IV — has reached an all-time high. The excitement only intensified after the release of its first cinematic trailer, which confirmed several key details, including Ciri taking the lead as the main protagonist. However, the opportunity to play the game anytime soon will have to wait for a while.

For those hoping to get their hands on The Witcher IV this year or the next, the latest financial report from CD Projekt Red (CDPR) brings disappointing news. According to CDPR’s Chief Financial Officer, Piotr Nielubowicz, the game has now officially entered full production. However, the company has no plans to release the game by the end of 2026. This means that the earliest possible release window for The Witcher IV would be sometime in 2027.

“We are not going to announce the precise launch date for the game yet,” said Nielubowicz in the earnings conference. “All we could share now to give more visibility to investors is that the game will not be launched within the time frame of the first target for the incentive program, which ends December 31, 2026.”

At this time, CDPR has not provided many details regarding the reasoning behind this decision. However, based on previous information, the company is aiming to ensure that The Witcher IV, which is being built using Unreal Engine 5, will be on a much larger scale compared to The Witcher 3. Additionally, the studio wants to avoid the disastrous launch issues that plagued Cyberpunk 2077, which tarnished its reputation before the eventual redemption.

This is not the only project currently in development for The Witcher franchise. A remake of the first game is being handled by the Polish studio Fool’s Theory, although its release window remains unknown.