Witcher 4 boss denies claims CD Projekt RED changed Ciri’s face after backlash
Though confirmation of The Witcher 4 at last year’s Game Awards was celebrated far and wide by fans of the series, CD Projekt RED’s initial trailer for the sequel courted controversy for its depiction of Ciri.
The character, integral to The Witcher’s overarching narrative and last seen as a playable character in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, will replace primary series protagonist, Geralt, as lead in the fourth entry.
In a video released by the studio on February 27 detailing the process that went into creating 2024’s cinematic trailer, Ciri’s design appeared to have been changed, leading many fans to believe that her design had been altered based on feedback.
The Witcher 4 director refutes redesign claims
In an X/Twitter post published on the same day of the BTS video’s release, The Witcher 4 director Sebastian Kalemba affirmed that the two designs were the same and hadn’t been altered, attributing the discrepancies to different stages of production.
“The behind-the-scenes video features the same in-game model of Ciri as seen in the original trailer. We have not modified it,” Kalemba said, adding, “What you’re seeing is raw footage—without facial animation, lighting, or virtual camera lenses.”
“While it’s still in-engine, it represents a work-in-progress snapshot taken before we applied cinematic touches for the purpose of that video,” he continued.
While details about The Witcher 4 remain slim regarding when fans can expect to get their hands on the sequel, CD Projekt RED has previously confirmed that the fourth entry is being developed from the ground-up in Unreal Engine 5, with a team size of at least 250 developers.
The Witcher games are based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s book series of the same name, which have also been adapted into a Netflix series starring Henry Cavill and, as of season 4, Liam Hemsworth in the title role.
