When it comes to adapting beloved stories for new formats, fans often find themselves in a bit of a conundrum. Stick too closely to the original material, and you risk creating something that feels redundant; stray too far, and you may lose what made the series special to begin with. This dilemma is all too familiar to fans of The Witcher, particularly when it comes to Netflix’s take on the franchise. Many feel like this adaptation has missed the mark in significant ways. So, when CD Projekt Red dropped the first teaser for The Witcher 4 with Ciri taking center stage as a fully-fledged Witcher, it wasn’t surprising to see a handful of fans reacting with skepticism. Nevertheless, given CD Projekt Red’s successful history with the franchise, they’ve certainly earned some leeway.
One of the main concerns revolves around how The Witcher 4 integrates with the established world and storyline crafted by Andrzej Sapkowski. Specifically, questions arise around Ciri’s development. By the end of the third game, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, she is beyond the traditional age for undergoing the mystical Trial of the Grasses. Moreover, in the books, her magical powers were significantly diminished after a pivotal sacrifice. Yet, the trailer suggests she can still wield magic effortlessly. What confuses me about this skepticism from certain fans is their apparent disconnect from the existing relationship between the games and the original canon. It’s not so much that the two differ greatly; rather, they were never tightly linked to begin with.
CD Projekt Red’s Witcher games have always veered away from being literal interpretations of the books. Instead, they capture the essence and thematic depth of Sapkowski’s work. As someone who appreciates the books, I find this creative freedom to be a significant strength of CDPR’s adaptations. The rich, intricate world Sapkowski penned feels expansive, as if its boundaries are meant to be explored further, which CDPR has managed to achieve adeptly through their storytelling.
This approach is precisely why The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is often regarded as one of the finest entries in the franchise. The game ventures beyond the books’ timeline, crafting an original tale set years after the events from the novels. It deepens and expands on the stories of key characters like Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer, all while staying true to the heart of their narratives and the larger world they inhabit.
Throughout The Witcher 3, Geralt’s quest to locate and save Ciri forces him into encounters with the oddest denizens of his universe. Although players make decisions about how these interactions play out, CDPR’s storytelling keeps things unpredictable. They often layer Geralt’s journeys with unexpected, sometimes tragic, twists while maintaining thematic alignment with Sapkowski’s best works. This is something the Netflix series struggles with; it seems to faithfully replicate the novels’ plots but misses out on their deeper themes.
It’s puzzling why some ardent fans of The Witcher 3 are now wary of Ciri’s arc in The Witcher 4, considering that her potential evolution was already established in Wild Hunt. Depending on player choices, Ciri might conclude the game deceased, reigning as Nilfgaard’s queen, or embarking on a path to become a Witcher. The leap from that trajectory to her role in The Witcher 4’s trailer doesn’t constitute a plot gap; rather, it appears to be the narrative course CDPR intends to explore—as confirmed by studio head Adam Badowski.
As a fan of both Ciri and Sapkowski’s writing, I’m optimistic about CD Projekt Red’s choice to extend her storyline. Given their success in expanding on this rich universe, it’s reassuring to know her character will continue to evolve, arguably even better than the treatment she might receive from her original creator. The only drawback? It might be a while before we actually get to witness the culmination of her adventures.
