The voice actor behind Geralt has responded to the backlash of Ciri being the protagonist of The Witcher 4, urging angry fans to “read the damn books.”
Although GTA 6 takes the prize for being the most anticipated game currently in development, The Witcher 4 isn’t too far behind. Even a decade on from its initial release, The Witcher 3 is still regarded as one of the best RPGs ever made, so fans are eager to get their hands on the sequel.
However, when it was initially revealed back in 2024, it received backlash for placing Ciri as the main character over Geralt, who was the focus of the first three games. Although his voice was heard in the trailer, suggesting he’ll appear in some capacity.
Now, the voice actor who plays Geralt, Doug Cockle, has responded to the criticism, arguing that it’s time for his character to take a back seat.
Geralt actor Doug Cockle responds to Ciri backlash
During an interview with Dexerto’s Fall Damage, Cockle was presented with social media posts and memes about The Witcher 4. One of these referenced the argument that the sequel had gone “woke” by making Ciri, Geralt’s adoptive daughter, the protagonist.
The actor called the argument “stupid,” explaining that it was time for the series to put the spotlight on a different hero.
“It’s not woke, there’s nothing woke about it,” he said in the interview. “It’s a cool character from the Witcher, and they’re gonna focus on that character.
“I think that’s awesome. You can’t just have Geralt for every single game for The Witcher ad nauseam through eternity.”
He went on to say that Geralt’s story was wrapped up nicely in The Witcher 3 DLC, so he has no issues with another character taking center stage in the follow-up.
“We’ve seen the end of Geralt’s journey,” he continued. “Blood and Wine was supposed to wrap up Geralt’s journey.”
The Witcher 3 is the first time that Ciri appeared in the games, which might go some way to explain why some fans have had a hard time adapting to the new perspective. However, Cockle also mentioned that there are plenty of interesting stories to tell about Ciri, before urging those upset about her new role to take a look at 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. 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.”
Developer CD Projekt Red has also responded to the backlash in the past, reassuring fans that they plan to respect the books with the new story. There is currently no official release date for The Witcher 4, but the company’s last earnings report suggested it will be 2027 at the earliest.
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