Witcher 4 2026 Release Rumors Debunked

Fans of The Witcher series will need to temper their excitement as CD Projekt has officially announced that The Witcher 4 will not see a release in 2026. Dive deeper into the latest updates and insights on the game's development journey.

The Witcher 4: Not Coming in 2026

The anticipation for The Witcher 4 continues to build, but CD Projekt Red has confirmed that fans won't be getting their hands on the game within the next two years. During their fiscal year 2024 earnings presentation, the studio disclosed that despite having financial targets to meet through incentive programs by the end of the next fiscal year, The Witcher 4 will not be part of that timeline. "Even though we do not plan to release The Witcher 4 by the end of 2026, we are still driven by this financial goal," they stated.

In the Q&A segment of the same forum, when pressed for further details, CD Projekt Red's Chief Financial Officer, Piotr Nielubowicz, remained cautious about sharing a specific release window. He clarified, "We are not going to announce the precise launch date for the game yet. 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."

Development in Full Swing

While the release of The Witcher 4 might still be on the horizon, the game is actively progressing through its development stages. CD Projekt's Q3 financial update from last year highlighted that the project, known as Project Polaris internally, has entered "full production." Nielubowicz expressed his optimism, saying, "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."

The game, first announced as Project Polaris in 2022, was officially titled The Witcher 4 (stylized as The Witcher IV) during The Game Awards 2024. A six-minute cinematic trailer introduced fans to the new protagonist, Ciri, Geralt of Rivia's adoptive daughter, now grown and ready to step into the spotlight.

As per CD Projekt's announcements on X (Twitter) in October 2022, The Witcher 4 marks the beginning of a new trilogy. The subsequent titles, currently known as Project Canis Majoris and Project Orion, are slated to follow within a six-year window after The Witcher 4's release.