CD Projekt Red has set a highly ambitious goal for its upcoming games. The studio plans to release the next Witcher trilogy within a tight six-year window. However, this aggressive timeline comes with a significant trade-off. Joint CEO Michal Nowakowski recently revealed that fans should not expect expansions for these new titles anytime soon.
A Tight Six-Year Deadline
During the latest earnings call, Nowakowski discussed the company’s “ambitious project pipeline”. He confirmed that releasing three massive Witcher games over six years will be quite difficult. Consequently, the development team must focus entirely on delivering the base games.
Historically, CD Projekt Red takes considerable time to build its sprawling RPGs. For example, The Witcher 3 required three and a half years of development. Similarly, Cyberpunk 2077 entered full development in 2016 and launched in 2020. That game was infamously released in a heavily bug-riddled state. To avoid repeating history and to meet these strict new deadlines, the studio has actively hired a large number of new developers.
Furthermore, CFO Piotr Nielubowicz previously confirmed that The Witcher 4 will not release before 2027. Currently, the game lacks an official release window.
Ciri Takes Lead Role in The Witcher 4
The next chapter will officially move away from Geralt of Rivia as the main protagonist. Instead, The Witcher 4 puts Ciri front and center. Moreover, the studio has recast her character. Actress Ciara Berkeley will play Ciri in the new trilogy.
Meanwhile, Geralt will still appear in the upcoming games. Voice actor Doug Cockle will reprise his iconic role as the grizzled monster hunter.
What About Future Expansions?
Fans love CD Projekt Red’s massive expansions. The Witcher 3 received its first DLC the same year it launched. Then, it received the massive Blood and Wine expansion a year later. Amazingly, The Witcher 3 is currently getting a third expansion called Songs of the Past. This new content launches a staggering 12 years after the base game.
Despite this strong track record, the new trilogy likely will not receive similar post-launch support during its initial run. Nowakowski did not give a definitive “no” regarding future expansions. Still, he explicitly noted that releasing DLCs alongside the new games “would be difficult”. Therefore, gamers should not hold their breath for significant DLC drops for The Witcher 4, 5, and 6.
Instead, CD Projekt Red might explore expansions at the tail-end of the trilogy. Once the studio finally releases The Witcher 6, developers could theoretically create new expansions at their leisure. At that point, they will face fewer pressing expectations following that initial six-year window. For now, fans must patiently wait for 2027 to see how this ambitious plan unfolds.
