"Witcher 4 2026 Release Rumors Debunked"

The Witcher 4 will not be among the list of released games for 2026, confirmed developer CD Projekt. Read on to find out more about updates regarding the game and its development.

The Witcher 4 Will Not Come Out In 2026

No Specific Release Window Yet

Fans of The Witcher video game series will have to wait a bit longer for the fourth installment as developer CD Projekt Red has confirmed that the game is not slated for release within the next two years. During the studio’s fiscal year 2024 earnings presentation, they highlighted financial goals tied to share-based incentive programs for the upcoming fiscal year. However, they made it clear that "Even though we do not plan to release The Witcher 4 by the end of 2026, we are still driven by this financial goal."

In the Q&A session that followed, attendees sought more clarity on the statement. Yet, CD Projekt Red remained tight-lipped about a specific release window or year beyond 2026. Chief Financial Officer Piotr Nielubowicz stated, "We are not going to announce the precise launch date for the game yet. All we can 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."

Full Speed Ahead In Production

With this news, fans of The Witcher can adjust their expectations regarding the game’s full launch. Nonetheless, the fourth entry into the acclaimed series is already in full swing, entering "full production" as reported in the CD Projekt Q3 financial update last year. "Of all our projects, this one [Project Polaris/The Witcher 4] is currently the most far along, and we're starting the most intensive phase of development. I wish to thank the team for its effort and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for further progress," Nielubowicz shared.

First announced as Project Polaris in 2022, the project was given its full title during The Game Awards 2024 after a six-minute-long cinematic trailer surprised viewers with its reveal. The Witcher 4 (stylized as The Witcher IV) marks a shift from the famed protagonist Geralt of Rivia to another beloved character in the franchise, Geralt’s adoptive daughter, Ciri, now older and more mature, evidently following in her predecessor’s footsteps.

According to CD Projekt’s previous announcements on X (Twitter) in October 2022, this will be the first title in a new Witcher trilogy. The subsequent titles, known as Project Canis Majoris and Project Orion respectively, are expected to follow within a six-year period after The Witcher 4's release.