The announcement ofThe Witcher IVsparked a lot of anticipation and discussion about what it means forThe Witcherseries as a whole. So, when the trailer dropped atThe Game Awards, fans were screaming with joy.
Apart from announcingCirias the new protagonist, the trailer for The Witcher 4 actually provided a lot more information about the game that wouldn’t be immediately noticed on a first viewing. Plus,CD Projekt Red had come forward with additional detailsand Easter Eggs that revealed even more surprises.
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Already, the trailer shows a narrative and tonal departure fromGeralt of Rivera’sstory. With Ciri at the helm and looking better than ever, fans are eagerly rewatching the trailers to see what more they can catch.
Luckily for those fans, there are several special details that the trailer hid that they won’t want to miss.
10People (Still) Hate Witchers
Ciri Won’t Be Able to Catch a Break, Either
It’s no secret inThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntthat most people are ignorant and hostile to Witchers and who they are. They’re labeled as thieves and freaks, practically becoming monsters in their own right in the eyes of average humans.
In the trailer for The Witcher 4, it seems that they’re still being hated in a similar way. As Ciri begins walking away from the crowd of onlookers, one of the citizens points her out and asks which coin purse she stole.
Those who aren’t slinging verbal abuse are glaring daggers and turning up their noses in disgust upon seeing a Witcher, so it’s safe to say that the hostility is still there.
Of course, players know that Witchers are essential for taking care of monsters, but to people who aren’t around them enough to understand, fear develops instead.
This just tells players to get ready to do a lot of damage control, similar to how Geralt had to roll his eyes and push through.
9Choices Matter
Mioni Didn’t Have to Die
The young woman shown in the trailer that Ciri tries (and fails) to rescue is confirmed to be namedMioni, and developers atCD Projekt Redrevealed that she might face a different outcome in the game, but that depends on the players.
In fact, The Witcher 4’s game director,Sebastian Kalemba, had brought it up specifically to reveal thatthe game will have multiple choicesthat affect multiple endings. It fits right into how the studio tackles consequences in their games.
“The way we [CD Projekt Red] make games [is] all about choices and consequences,” Kalemba said. “As you see here, the outcome is that it’s also a very good lesson for Ciri herself, that she’s not able to take full control over everything. She’s not able to be responsible for everything and everyone. She can try, but life is life.”
Those who have played other CD Projekt Red games would understand exactly how crucial choices can be, so it’s safe to assume that this game will carry a similar weight with each decision.
8Ciri Isn’t Neutral
She’s Not Like Geralt In More Ways Than One
While the events of the trailer unfold, players are able to see that Ciri gets (at least somewhat) attached to Mioni, who she was trying to save. She storms off after her death, growling that"there are no gods here, only monsters."
Meanwhile, if it were Geralt, he would just have taken the gold and left. It’s not that he doesn’t care, it’s that he maintains neutrality – which Ciri doesn’t seem to care about.
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“She doesn’t want to stay neutral,” Kalemba told IGN. “She’s way younger. She’s still defining her own code, and she’s less pragmatic.”
Kalemba later goes on to describe Ciri as a “super wide container for emotions, for the experience, [and] for the journey,” making her growth a focal point in the narrative.
While it won’t necessarily be a Coming of Age story, it will likely be more akin toBatman: Year One, with Ciri learning as she goes on her journey. She can still be a professional monster slayer and still have a lot to learn, after all.
7The Trial of the Grasses
How Was She Allowed to Go Through?
There’s been a lot of hot debate over The Witcher 4 and Ciri being the main character (as loud and as pointless as it is), but one question keeps floating around, begging to be addressed: how did Ciri go through theTrial of the Grasses?
To put it simply: the Trial of the Grasses is how Witchers are created, and it’s an unfathomably deadly process, with only a couple survivors with every attempt.
Eventually, as the prevalence of Witchers decreased, the practice faded with them, and any surviving Witchers who knew how to perform the ritual simply wouldn’t. This leads many to wonder how Ciri was able to go through with the trial at all.
Given Ciri’s incredible and chaotic powers, there is a possibility she could have simply gone back in time to complete it. Considering there’s dialogue in The Witcher 3 about how Ciri had literally been toCyberpunk 2077’s Night City, a little bit of time travel seems perfectly reasonable with her magic.
The main question should instead be: how in the world did Geralt let her? Then again, even if he disapproved, it’s not like Ciri would listen anyway.
6P.T. Adamczyk Will Compose the Soundtrack
The Witcher Will Have a Much Moodier Sound
AlongsideCiri having a new voice actress, The Witcher 4 will have a different soundtrack and overall sound direction.P.T. Adamczyk, most known for his stellar work withCyberpunk 2077and itsPhantom LibertyDLC, will be the composer.
Cyberpunk’s soundtrack is incredibly moody and atmospheric in a way that teeters on outright haunting, while also having tracks that are a pure adrenaline rush. It’s seamless in the world ofNight Cityand the overall story, a perfect tonal fit that makes me unspeakably excited for how he’ll handle The Witcher 4.
Not to mention, P.T. Adamczyk certainly knows how to be absolutelykillerby incorporating the cello.
Needless to say, the soundtrack for this game is going to be as iconic as its predecessors, easily. It’s going to not just fit the tone of The Witcher 4’s work, but elevate it into a near-ethereal experience.
5Reference to The Witcher’s First Trailer
Point and Marvel at the Chain
Long-time fans of the games may have noticed a parallel in this new trailer, specifically to a particular fight in the cinematic for the first Witcher game. In that trailer, Geralt takes down aStrigausing a silver chain.
According to Kalemba, this is on purpose.
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CD Projekt RED was not happy.
“In this case, she’s not only using [a silver chain] but also enchanting it to make it more powerful," Kalemba said. “It is a utility tool to shorten the distance to deliver a final blow.”
Is that a tease as to how Ciri would be able to enchant her weapons in the actual game? Let’s hope so, because imagine the kind of fun that unpacks.
4Zireael Makes a Return
A Gift and a Canon Ending
The reveal of Ciri being the next Witcher confirms two things: that Geralt’s story is truly over, and this cements the canon ending for The Witcher 3.
While it was heavily implied to be the canon ending for a long while, it wasn’t actually outright confirmed until this trailer dropped. It finally answers a long-time question – and shows another detail.
In that ending, Geralt lovingly gifts Ciri with a silver sword, one that is regarded as one of the best for Witchers in the entire world. The silver sword, calledZireael, makes a shining reappearance in the trailer, which is even more exciting to think about for in-game.
3The Flowers Have Slavic Importance
Flower Language Strikes Again
Flowers being used as a method of communication has been around for an incredibly long time, with different flowers holding different meanings across all cultures.
In the trailer, Mioni is adorned in a crown of blue flowers, leaves, and sticks – but the fauna holds meaning, especially in the context of the ritual that the villagers are performing. They are Slavic flowers that were used in the superstitious medieval rituals to defeat evil.
“It is very symbolic,” Kalemba said. “Every single frame here is very meaningful.”
It’s this kind of attention to detail that has players eagerly awaiting the release of the game; what other hidden meanings and details are waiting to be uncovered in the game itself?
The Trailer’s New Monster is Packed with Folklore
Folklore is an integral part of human life and culture, especially in the medieval era when folklore was the only attempt at reasoning people could cling to.
This folklore also extends to monsters and how they’re a representation of that particular culture and their fears.
The new monster that’s revealed in the trailer,the Bauk, actually has its roots in Serbian culture. They’re a collection of terrifying descriptions of real bear encounters that evolved with fantasy.
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“He has this ability to smell your fear, to be able to play with your traumas, to paralyze you — so that you finally become easy prey, an easy meal,” Kalemba said. “We wanted to have a creature that is able to be very heavy and strong, but [also] agile.”
While the extent of the Bauk in the actual game remains unknown, it’s safe to assume they’ll have decent importance, especially since Ciri was the first to see one up close.
1Ciri’s Wearing a Lynx Pendant
What Is This New School?
One final detail that many may have missed on their first watch of the trailer was that Ciri isn’t wearing the same pendant as Geralt. In fact, she’s not wearing any familiar pendant at all, but a new one:School of the Lynx.
Nothing is really known about the School of the Lynx, leading some to speculate what its origins could possibly be and how they tie in with Ciri in particular. It’s possible that she founded this school, but it’s just as possible that she didn’t.
The school could potentially be a recreation of one of the original schools (possibly Cat, since a Lynx is a feline), or it could be a blend of a few. Most likely, though, it’s its own school, and that prospect is honestly much more exciting.
There’s just something to keep in mind when looking up information about School of the Lynx: there’s already a fanmade version of it, sojust be sure not to get them confusedwith each other.
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