"Witcher 4 2026 Release Rumors Debunked"

The Witcher 4 will not be among the list of released games for 2026, as confirmed by developer CD Projekt. Here's the latest on 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 need to wait a bit longer for the fourth installment, as CD Projekt Red has revealed that the game is not slated for release any time soon—not within the next two years. In their fiscal year 2024 earnings presentation, the studio mentioned certain financial goals to achieve through share-based incentive programs for the next fiscal year. They followed this with a significant statement: "Even though we do not plan to release The Witcher 4 by the end of 2026, we are still driven by this financial goal."

During the Q&A segment of the forum, an attendee sought further clarification on this comment. However, CD Projekt Red remained tight-lipped about the specific release window or release year after 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 provide 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 in mind, The Witcher fans can adjust their expectations regarding the game’s full launch. However, the fourth entry into the acclaimed series is already in the works, 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 advanced, 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 officially titled during The Game Awards 2024 after a six-minute-long cinematic trailer surprised viewers with its sudden reveal. The Witcher 4 (stylized as The Witcher IV) bids farewell to the famed protagonist Geralt of Rivia and introduces another beloved character from the franchise as its main character—Geralt's adoptive daughter, Ciri, now older and more mature, clearly 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 two other titles in the trilogy, currently referred to as Project Canis Majoris and Project Orion, are expected to follow within a six-year period after The Witcher 4 is released.