witcher-4-confirmed

The Witcher 4 is incoming - and will probably feature a returning fan-favourite character.

It's official: The Witcher 4 is coming just seven short years after the release of its universally acclaimed predecessor, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. But what do we know of the highly anticipated sequel? Tragically very little. However with the release of the teaser image comes an avalanche of pretty solid theories.

It was via Twitter that CD Projekt Red Community Director Marcin Momot revealed the image below, along with a link to a page that reveals a few details about the in-development sequel. However, just by glancing at the teaser we can glean at least one thing that we know we can expect: catgirls.

Not really, of course, but the fact that Geralt's iconic wolf medallion has been notably replaced by a feline alternative has raised questions. Whether this is part of the Cat School is up for debate, as this snow-submerged kitty is almost certainly a lynx, what with the distinctive ear tufts, mutton chops and snowy habitat. The depiction of the Cat School medallion, meanwhile, has taken on a slightly more tiger-like appearance in the previous title.

We already knew that this next instalment would not feature Geralt as the main character. And since the Witcher 3 many have been calling for a Ciri-led sequel - a character who already sported the Cat School medallion during her in-game appearances - we can easily believe that this is a pretty big hint. The lynx, therefore, could be Ciri's feline answer to Geralt's wolf. Either way, we still have a long time to wait before confirmation.

What we do know for certain, however, is that The Witcher 4 will break away from CD Projekt Red's REDengine to instead use Unreal Engine 5, and commence a "multi-year strategic partnership with Epic Games." REDengine will still be used to develop Cyberpunk 2077's upcoming expansion, but it looks like the Witcher 4 developer is embracing the foremost technology for next-gen games in its new venture.

We'll keep a keen eye on developments as they arise - hoping for a Witcher 4 multiplayer function all the while. But for now we can't wait to see the inevitable deluge of fan theories over the coming months.