Geralt Actor Slams 'Woke' Label for Ciri-Led Witcher 4

Doug Cockle, the iconic voice behind Geralt of Rivia in CD Projekt's The Witcher series, has robustly responded to the criticism surrounding The Witcher 4 and its focus on Ciri as the protagonist. In a video interview with Fall Damage, Cockle expressed his frustration with detractors labeling the game as "woke" due to its shift in focus.

"That's just stupid," Cockle stated about the backlash. He emphasized that Ciri, a beloved character from The Witcher universe, is an excellent choice for the lead role. "It's not woke... There's nothing woke about it. [Ciri]'s a cool character from The Witcher, and they're gonna focus on that character, and that's awesome."

Despite Geralt's continued presence in The Witcher 4, the announcement that his adoptive daughter Ciri would take center stage sparked controversy among a vocal minority online. Cockle defended the decision, highlighting the need for fresh narratives within the franchise. "We can't just have Geralt for every single game for The Witcher ad nauseam, out through eternity," he remarked, noting that Geralt's journey had already concluded with Blood and Wine.

Cockle expressed his enthusiasm for Ciri's new role, dismissing critics with a playful raspberry. He suggested that the choice to focus on Ciri is rooted in the rich world created by Andrzej Sapkowski in the original Witcher novels. "If you read the books, then you understand why CD Projekt went down this avenue," Cockle explained, urging fans to explore the source material. "There's a whole rich world of stuff to explore with Ciri, that they didn't do when they put her into Witcher 3, because the story was about Geralt. But she hints at it."

He concluded by recommending the books, not only for their quality but also to dispel the notion that The Witcher 4's direction is politically motivated. "If you think it's woke, read the damn books—they're good, first of all. And secondly, you won't think it's so woke anymore."

CD Projekt's games are set after the events of Sapkowski's novels, and while Sapkowski has distanced his work from the games, both share a vision of Ciri as a central figure capable of carrying the story forward when Geralt steps back.

For a deeper understanding of The Witcher 4's timeline and narrative choices, IGN previously discussed these aspects with CD Projekt's franchise and lore designers, Cian Maher and Marcin Batylda, who confirmed that the established timeline aligns seamlessly with the new direction.

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