Many were disappointed when CD Projekt Red announced this The Witcher 4 will not be released in 2026; the developer has yet to pair the title with a firm release date. That's understandable though – great games take time and shouldn't be rushed, and CDPR should know that better than most AAA studios at this point. Hence the more recent claims of The Witcher 4 are particularly shocking.
CD Projekt Red said it expects the upcoming Charmer the trilogy will be published within six years. This would mean that entries would be released at a rate of one every three years, a ridiculous rate for any series, let alone an epic fantasy RPG. It is true that it is not as absurd as it seems: The Witcher 4including pre-production, has been in development for four years now, and one can imagine that this initial Ciri game will lay much of the groundwork for its two successors. Still, video games are a difficult and expensive business (again, something CDPR is certainly more than aware of), and it's natural to raise eyebrows at CD Projekt Red's seemingly overzealous goals.
Why the Witcher's quick release strategy might be the best
Releasing three games in the space of six years, especially three open-world RPGs (a notoriously difficult genre to produce), is quite ambitious. Some might say it's actually too ambitious, which could lead to rushed development. Simply put, one would expect a similar series Call of Duty accept a tight release schedule, but not a series like Charmer.
Take it God of War Ragnarokfor example. Two of the game's biggest points of contention are its asset recycling and general lack of major innovation compared to its predecessor. It's not hard to see why God of War Ragnarok they feel so similar God of War 2018, looking at the development context of the pair: not only that God of War Ragnarok development takes one year less than God of War 2018, but it was according to the already established formula and world. It would cost a lot more money, resources, and headaches to match the game's 2018 ambitions, all while risking ditching proven design elements.
So, God of War Ragnarok instead, he focused on expanding what already worked God of War 2018, allowing Santa Monica Studios to focus on delivering a compelling conclusion to the Norse saga. This is where God of War Ragnarok is innovating, and may not have had room to do so—maybe not even released on time and in good condition—if it consumed so many additional resources by starting from scratch.
Asset reuse can make for more and better games
There are plenty of valid criticisms to level with too-quick release schedules. Annual or two-year franchises like Call of Duty, EA Sports FC (formerly FIFA), a Assassin's Creed all have been criticized time and time again for their lack of innovation and ingenuity, not to mention their bugs and technical problems; busy release schedules are often cited as the main causes of such problems. And sure, maybe one game every year is a bit much, but short launch cycles don't have to lead to bad games.
There are a number of iconic franchises that don't break under the weight of their own release schedules, but none quite as exemplary as Yakuza/Like a Dragon. There are a total of nine main lines – this does not include spin-offs –Yakuza games published by Ryu Ga Gotoku since 2005. This lightning-fast release pace has been facilitated by considerable resource reuse, as most games focus on the same locations. Traditionally, this has been the fictional district of Kamurocho, and while new locations such as Ijincho and Hawaii have been introduced, they are often recycled for future releases as well.
and yet Yakuza It's still fresher and more inventive between releases than some franchises that remain stagnant in terms of core mechanics and overall narrative. Yakuza avoids these problems with many techniques, though perhaps none as significant as narrative design: quests, characters, and subplots can feel remarkably different in different games, even if the content is recycled elsewhere. Like God of War Ragnarok, Yakuza the franchise continues to build on what came before, instead of throwing everything away and giving old ideas a fresh coat of paint with each entry.
How upcoming Witcher games can flourish, even while reusing assets
While the original Charmer the trilogy represents a massive development between the individual parts, the next three games don't necessarily have to. Assuming Ciri's trilogy is meant to be a complete new story, it would actually make sense to keep some of the same locations, characters, etc. between entries. Players could thus experience how the events of individual games affect the world and the characters in it. Maybe CD Projekt Red could even cut a page Mass Effect's book, allowing players to import their world states and decisions across editions.
Of course, there will still be a need for variety and innovation with each new game, but that could come in the form of additions rather than replacements. For example, maybe Ciri might do some offense against a faction in one game that will lead to an adversarial relationship in the next game. Or maybe years can pass between games, leading to new cities or settlements in the world. Each new Charmer the game could be like adding new ingredients to a stew, rather than creating a new dish.
It is worth noting that the original Charmer the trilogy was published for 8 years. With the help of modern technologies like UE5, it's not too unrealistic to think that CDPR could cut that release timeline by two years.
Why more franchises may want to follow The Witcher's lead
For defense Assassin's Creedits franchise premise essentially requires it to provide radically new environments, characters, enemies, and other assets between entries. But not every series is like that. There are lots of properties, incl Resident Evil, Pokemonand Final Fantasywhich could thrive by building rather than starting from scratch. Innovation is necessary, but it doesn't have to be dramatic and all-encompassing to make an impact. Asset reuse can be an efficient, creative, and fiscally responsible way to grow a franchise, and it doesn't have to mean stagnation in the writing or acting department. One could even argue that it's better to have a series that evolves and expands with each entry than one that discards all the old ideas in favor of constant new ones.
