CD Projekt Red says The Witcher 4 is targeting a 2028 release. Fans waiting for the next mainline Witcher game finally have a rough timeline, though a Witcher 3 expansion and a multiplayer spinoff arrive first.
What actually happened
Joint CEO Michał Nowakowski said in a new video that CD Projekt Red is aiming to launch The Witcher 4 sometime in 2028, according to The Verge. The studio has worked on the game for years and shown footage of it, but this is the first time it has given a target release window. Before The Witcher 4, CD Projekt Red will release a Witcher 3 expansion called Songs of the Past, scheduled for 2027. Songs of the Past appeared at Gamescom's Opening Night Live, hosted by Geoff Keighley. CD Projekt Red is also developing a multiplayer Witcher spinoff codenamed Project Siris. Earlier in August 2026, the company confirmed layoffs of staff working on that project.
How we got here
CD Projekt Red has teased The Witcher 4 for years without a firm timeline, releasing concept footage and technical demos that fueled speculation about a launch date. This is the first time leadership has attached a specific year to the game, moving it from open-ended development into a public target window. The studio is juggling three Witcher-universe projects at once: the mainline sequel, the Witcher 3 expansion Songs of the Past due in 2027, and Project Siris, a multiplayer spinoff that saw layoffs this month. The 2028 window was announced alongside Gamescom's Opening Night Live, a major industry showcase for new trailers and release dates, per The Verge.
Why this matters for you
For players, a 2028 target sets expectations after years of footage with no date attached. It signals CD Projekt Red feels confident enough in development to commit publicly. For the studio, spacing out three Witcher projects, an expansion, a mainline sequel, and a multiplayer spinoff, spreads financial risk but also spreads staff and resources thin, as shown by the recent Project Siris layoffs. For the wider industry, a named 2028 window offers a public data point on how long large open-world RPGs now take to build.
The bigger question
Will CD Projekt Red hold the 2028 target, or will The Witcher 4 slip further, as many large open-world games have in recent years?
What to watch
Songs of the Past, the Witcher 3 expansion, is scheduled for 2027. The Witcher 4 targets 2028. Gamescom's Opening Night Live, hosted by Geoff Keighley, carried the announcement this week. Project Siris remains in development after the August 2026 layoffs, with no release window given yet.
