CD Projekt Explains Why The Witcher 4 and the New Trilogy Might Not Have DLC

CD Projekt RED has explained that the upcoming chapters of The Witcher saga, starting with The Witcher 4, may not include expansions. The decision is not born from a negative creative choice, but from a precise development strategy tied to the extremely tight timelines the studio has imposed on itself.

According to co-CEO Michal Nowakowski, the company's goal is to release the entire new Witcher trilogy within a timeframe of about six years. This would theoretically mean seeing The Witcher 4 in 2028, The Witcher 5 in 2031, and The Witcher 6 in 2034. It’s an aggressive release pace for AAA productions of this scope.

This tight planning makes it difficult to find space for the development of expansions between each chapter. Nowakowski explained that, at the moment, it would be complicated for the studio to add additional content to the individual games of the new trilogy without slowing down the entire production schedule.

After the announcement of the DLC for The Witcher 3, the strategy will change with The Witcher 4. This marks a significant shift from the past. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was enriched by successful expansions like Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, which greatly expanded the gaming experience. Subsequently, the series continued to receive additional content, consolidating a model based on major narrative expansions.

The new approach, however, prioritizes speed and continuity of the main story through more closely spaced chapters. The intention is to avoid long gaps between games and maintain a coherent and constantly evolving narrative.

During the same meeting with shareholders, CD Projekt also communicated new very positive sales data for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which, 11 years after launch, continues to register solid commercial performance.