Is 5 new Witcher video games too many Witcher video games?

CD Projekt unceremoniously introduced this week that it has three—no, 4—no, 5?—new Witcher video games in growth, alongside a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077. Massive Geralt is again.

Or no less than, witching is. We do not know whether or not any of CD Projekt’s deliberate video games will star or visitor star Geralt of Rivia, although the corporate has mentioned that its subsequent massive RPG will not be Geralt’s story. We now know that game, which we’re tentatively calling The Witcher 4, would be the begin of “a brand new triple-A RPG trilogy.” CD Projekt has on condition that game the codename Polaris. Will it star Ciri or a completely new cast of characters? We do not know.

It appears extra seemingly Geralt will show up in one of many deliberate spin-offs that CD Projekt referred to with codenames this week: there’s Canis Majoris, a “full-fledged Witcher game, separate to the brand new Witcher saga beginning with Polaris,” and in addition Sirius, a Witcher game from former indie studio Molasses Flood that may embrace multiplayer in a roundabout way. 

These will not be the one rumblings within the Witcherverse. Season three of the Netflix Witcher sequence is out subsequent 12 months, and prequel spin-off The Witcher: Blood Origin, starring Michelle Yeoh, debuts in December 2022. Netflix has mentioned it has one other anime movie and a “family-friendly” animated sequence on the way in which, too.

That is a number of Witcher. However is it an excessive amount of Witcher? Is CD Projekt simply out to appease buyers, or is it lastly giving the sequence the eye it deserves? Our workforce is break up between skepticism and pleasure, so we argued it out.

Can CD Projekt actually launch three RPGs in six years?

Wes Fenlon, Senior Editor: When you imagine CD Projekt is definitely going to handle three new RPGs over a interval of six years, I’ve a bridge in Novigrad to promote you. 10 years sounds far more life like. Six years(!?) looks as if an not possible schedule for a studio that needed to delay The Witcher 3 twice and Cyberpunk 2077 3 times. And never simply because these video games take years to develop: CD Projekt additionally has a protracted historical past of supporting its video games post-launch, with months of patches and updates sharpening them up. Cyberpunk has desperately wanted that point to really feel like a completed game, however within the case of The Witcher 3, CD Projekt was simply making an important game higher—nonetheless, that very important post-release time appears unrealistic if two sequels must get executed in six years. On the optimistic facet, since I am assuming every sequel takes a 12 months or two longer than anticipated, I am much less nervous about burning out on Witcher video games than I in any other case can be.

Lauren Aitken, Guides Editor: Three video games delivered over a six 12 months interval is totally doable! After the primary game drops, it could possibly be a 3 or 4 12 months await the following earlier than the ultimate chapter arrives two years later. It is bold, and CDPR has undoubtedly executed a 180 from the “we aren’t going to present particular time scales ever once more!” vibe since Cyberpunk 2077 got here out. It makes me suppose these video games will likely be smaller in scope and are means additional into manufacturing than has been claimed. Or, they’re constructing it as one massive game that, when nearly prepared, they will cube up into three video games and fireplace out a trilogy. Blood and Wine and Hearts of Stone added an additional 30-40 hours to Witcher 3, and each got here out inside a 12 months of Witcher 3’s launch, so the expectation it may work is already set.

A trilogy launched over a brief timespan labored with Mass Impact so it may work right here! Both means, stick it into my veins.

Are back-to-back-to-back Witcher RPGs going to really feel samey?

Wes: That is the larger concern for me. I’ve performed all three Witcher RPGs and loved all of them, however they every have a really robust, very totally different id. If CD Projekt is making three extra in fast succession, I think about the mandatory reuse of property and design learnings will make them far more comparable. Possibly the builders find yourself overcoming that via the sheer high quality of writing and quest design—that’d be wonderful. However assuming they’re all open world RPGs following the identical characters—which appears seemingly in the event that they’re planning out a definite trilogy—I’ve hassle imagining them feeling as distinct as the primary three Witchers, or enhancing as dramatically between video games.

Saying three video games from the soar simply strikes me as a enterprise choice, not one pushed by game builders with so many plans and ambitions {that a} single game simply would not minimize it. However hey, in the event that they do aspire to make one thing just like the Mass Impact trilogy with story selections that carry over between video games, I am curious to see the way it goes.

Lauren: There’s lots occurring aside from only a trilogy! Challenge Sirius is being made by The Molasses Flood, so will likely be a separate growth to the in-house Witcher workforce. their earlier video games (The Flame within the Flood, Drake Hole) it will most likely be in contrast to any Witcher game in existence without delay, together with Gwent and standalone and spinoffs like Thronebreaker. 

Canis Majoris can also be being developed by a separate workforce—a 3rd get together studio based by Witcher veterans. It is unclear whether or not that is a subsidiary of CDPR or a yet-unnamed workforce—they could even be a part of the brand new Boston workforce (although it appears like that studio will likely be centered on Cyberpunk 2077 and its sequel Challenge Orion Orion). I feel the trilogy would be the most recognisable—I’m detest to say samey—and Canis Majoris has the potential to really feel very Geralt-y if it is lead by a workforce who labored on The Witcher 3’s design and quests. Possibly Canis Majoris would be the Ciri game as an alternative of a complete trilogy about her, or perhaps it is the Dandelion RPG Fraser needs he may play.

If the trilogy focuses on a brand new faculty, which the Lynx medallion strongly suggests, then there should be a brand new means of recruiting Witchers, and perhaps a brand new means of mutating them (may Keira & Lambert have one thing to do with that?). This could take it in a “fashionable” sorcery and alchemy path as the 2, alongside doubtlessly Ciri, Geralt and co. may give you new strategies of monster looking with new Witchers. Or, perhaps they move away from monsters on this planet and may traverse time and area utilizing portals? You’ve got additionally acquired to surprise which of those video games, if any, will likely be based mostly on the canon ‘Ciri turning into a Witcher’ ending. Or are we trying additional sooner or later at new threats? Who else is lurking within the shadows that we have to take into account, even scarier vampires than Detlaffe or the Unseen Elder? Use your creativeness, Wes!

Wes: I am attempting. I am attempting! Um… The Witcher: Time Bandits? 

Between video games and TV, can we see an excessive amount of of the Northern Realms?

Wes: As a lot as I like The Witcher 3, I feel the previous few years of media typically has actually soured me on an excessive amount of of a superb factor. I lived and breathed Star Wars in my teenagers and even my 20s, and I’ve seen practically all the pieces from the MCU, too, however I am feeling the fatigue for each nowadays. They actually made a film about younger Han Solo and I watched it like a sucker. I do not wish to play a game starring younger Geralt, or daddy Vesemir, or watch a Netflix spin-off about Dandelion. I like these characters! However I partially love that I do not know all the pieces about them.

My favourite factor about The Witcher 3 is how sure quests will see Geralt crossing paths with one other Witcher or an previous acquaintance; CD Projekt did an excellent job of writing dialogue that sketched out their relationships and historical past with out infodumping their life tales. It made the world really feel larger, and extra actual, and bolstered what number of adventures Geralt had been on. You lose one thing when every a type of characters has their very own origin story and every bit of media interconnects, Marvel-style, and begins prioritizing constructing the shared universe over making the person items nice.

Possibly that may by no means occur with The Witcher—since CD Projekt and Netflix are every doing their very own factor, it is not likely an MCU scenario. However a brand new trilogy and extra spin-off video games on high of that every one being developed concurrently is sufficient to make me nervous. And drained.

Lauren: There’s a lot of the world past the principle cities that wants exploring, although! Visiting Aretuza in-game can be rad, as would exploring Mahakam, Lyria and Rivia however additional afield than we have but been in a position to. You get to briefly go to these areas in Thronebreaker nevertheless it’s not the identical as full world-building. Witcher’s aren’t restricted solely to the Northern Realms or Novigrad and it is time to go additional.

I would wish to see extra Witchers in a single place and never simply have a token quest where all of them get drunk in a fortress—that is one in every of my favorite Witcher 3 quests for certain, however seeing them work together within the wild was nice, too. I would wish to see CD Projekt place a barely heavier deal with the sorceresses, and undoubtedly extra elves, contemplating their storyline from The Witcher 2 was shafted in The Witcher 3. And I wish to play extra of the cool tales from the books involving golden dragons. However that is as a result of I am a giant nerd.

I’m equally hesitant in regards to the Witcher going a bit MCU. However truthfully, I benefit from the Witcher universe a lot exterior the video games this is not actually a priority for me. It does really feel dangerous stating so many Witcher initiatives are being developed on the similar time, alongside a CP2077 sequel and extra. I get it, although—CD Projekt is in search of extra funding, needs to drive a little bit of thriller and hype for followers, and desires to show that regardless of the “failure” of CP2077 at launch, it is dedicated to creating video games. Striving forward with a model new Boston studio is proof of that. It’s as soon as once more an thrilling time for CDPR. Nevermind new video games without delay, although—where’s that Witcher 3 next-gen update?

Wes: As cautious as I’m of stuffing the Witcher world with facet tales and origins, if they offer me a turn-based technique game within the model of Last Fantasy Techniques I will be there in a second. When you can flip Metallic Slug right into a techniques game, it will certain as hell work for Geralt!