Ciri's first game as the lead of The Witcher series has been voted the game players want most. The Witcher 4, the first game in a new Witcher saga with Ciri as its lead, won Most Wanted Game at the 44th Golden Joystick Awards in London yesterday. CD PROJEKT RED also won Best Remake/Remaster for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered, which the studio says made The Witcher 3 the most-awarded game in Golden Joystick history. Check out the official posts down below:
CD PROJEKT RED was also on stage during the show, as Production Director Malgorzata Mitrega was one of the night's guest presenters.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered
CD PROJEKT RED announced The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered on August 25 and released it on September 29. It was a free upgrade for existing owners on PC through GOG, Steam and Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and it also launched natively on Nintendo Switch 2. The studio co-developed it with Yigsoft. In the Best Remake/Remaster category, it beat Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, Gothic 1 Remake, METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION Vol.2, Star Fox and Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter. The Golden Joysticks' post on the win is below:
The Remastered version adds path tracing, a PS5 Pro mode that runs at 60 frames per second with ray tracing or up to 90 frames per second in performance mode, a reimagined skill system, reworked combat and animations, and cross-platform mod support through Mod.io. On Switch 2, it supports motion controls. CD PROJEKT RED's launch trailer is below:
A new expansion for The Witcher 3, Songs of the Past, is planned for 2027. It adds a new region called Letten and a chain weapon, and it is being developed with Fool's Theory. The game has won more than 250 Game of the Year awards and sold over 65 million copies.
Ciri's Saga
The Witcher 4 was revealed at The Game Awards in December 2024 with a cinematic trailer close to 6 minutes long. Ciri is the protagonist, and it is the first game in a new Witcher saga. Sebastian Kalemba is the game director. CD PROJEKT RED's reveal trailer is below:
Ciri is the adopted daughter of Geralt of Rivia. In CD PROJEKT RED's reveal trailer, she takes on a witcher contract in a remote village that has been terrorized for generations by a monster demanding human sacrifices. As the villagers prepare a young girl for a ritual sacrifice, Ciri chooses to intervene, and the trailer shows her new tools and abilities, including a chain and advanced magic. The studio describes the lesson she faces as "that monsters come in all forms."
Game director Sebastian Kalemba said at the reveal that the studio was starting "a brand-new Witcher saga, this time with Ciri as the heart of the story." He said the team had known for a long time that Ciri would be the protagonist, because "it just felt natural" and "Ciri deserves it," and that the game is about exploring "what it means to truly become a witcher by following Ciri on her Path." CD PROJEKT RED calls The Witcher 4 a single-player, open-world RPG set in "a brutal dark fantasy world."
In an August 24 video, CD PROJEKT RED said it is targeting a 2028 release window for The Witcher 4, with more than 500 developers working on it. The Witcher account's post this morning thanked fans for "proving there's still life in this old wolf," but it did not share any new details about the game.
The Witcher 4 beat 13 other games for Most Wanted: Alien: Isolation 2, ANANTA, Black Myth: Zhong Kui, EXODUS, Fable, Final Fantasy VII Revelation, God of War Laufey, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Kingdom Hearts IV, METRO 2039, NO LAW, Persona 6 and Resident Evil Veronica.
The Witcher Beyond The Games
Ciri first appeared in Andrzej Sapkowski's books, and Dark Horse's Witcher comics are now up to an 11th volume. The latest volume is covered in Dark Horse's The Witcher Volume 11: Blood Stone Is Out Now.
The rest of the Golden Joysticks went to Resident Evil Requiem for Ultimate Game of the Year, Crimson Desert for PC Game of the Year and MECCHA CHAMELEON with 4 wins.
Is Ciri the right lead for the next Witcher saga, or did you want another game with Geralt in the lead?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.