CD Projekt Red has finally given fans a real timeline to hold onto for its next mainline "The Witcher" game, ending months of speculations ahead of the studio's biggest showcase of the year.
The update arrived through a video message from leadership, offering the clearest picture yet of where the ambitious sequel currently stands.
'The Witcher 4' Targets 2028 Release Date
CD Projekt Red's Joint CEO Michał Nowakowski confirmed the release window through a video shared on "The Witcher's" official social accounts ahead of Gamescom.
He told fans directly, "So while we're not showing The Witcher 4 at the event, and we're not ready to share an exact date, I can tell you this. 'The Witcher 4' is targeting a 2028 release window. I know it is a bit of a wait, and you would love to play it sooner but let the team cook. It will be worth the wait."
CD Projekt Red confirmed the game will not appear at Gamescom this year, meaning fans hoping for new gameplay footage or a trailer at the show will have to keep waiting.
Nowakowski was also careful to frame 2028 as a target rather than a locked date, leaving room for the timeline to shift depending on how the rest of development unfolds.
To our beloved fans, players, and community:
— The Witcher (@thewitcher) August 24, 2026
As we near #gamescom in just a few days, CD PROJEKT RED Joint-CEO Michał Nowakowski would like to personally invite YOU to join us there, and hear about the future of The Witcher franchise! pic.twitter.com/Jyam30SrQH
CD Projekt Red Ramps Up Development
According to Nowakowski, more than 500 developers are currently working on "The Witcher 4," a scale he described as the studio's biggest and most ambitious project to date (via Digital Trends).
He said the team is building a huge and immersive open world, paired with intense, action-packed gameplay and a deep, impactful story meant to stay with players long after finishing it.
"The Witcher 4" begins a brand-new saga centered on Ciri as the lead protagonist, following her reveal at The Game Awards back in 2024. CD Projekt Red has previously shown off some of the technology powering the game through an Unreal Engine 5 demonstration, highlighting dense crowds, improved foliage rendering, ray tracing, and a target frame rate of 60 fps even on a base PS5.
Since "The Witcher 3" and "Cyberpunk 2077" both faced multiple delays before their own eventual releases, some outlets have noted the 2028 window could still shift as development continues.
Play Geralt Now Before Ciri Takes Over
Fans will not have to wait until 2028 to return to "The Witcher" universe, since "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt" is getting a new expansion called "Songs of the Past." CD Projekt Red plans to show more of the DLC during Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25, along with additional coverage at the studio's booth throughout the show.
"Songs of the Past" arrives more than a decade after "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt" originally launched back in 2015, giving longtime fans one more reason to revisit Geralt's story before Ciri eventually takes the spotlight in the next mainline entry.
An exact release date for Songs of the Past has not been announced yet, though CD Projekt Red has teased "a surprise or two" still to come during its Gamescom livestreams, leaving room for further reveals tied to both the expansion and the broader "Witcher" franchise before the show wraps up.
