The Witcher IV Targeting 2028 Release, Skipping gamescom 2026
The 2028 target and gamescom 2026 absence shift attention to the Witcher 3 expansion Songs of the Past, which carries the franchise's near-term showcase at the event.
Key Facts
- CD PROJEKT RED co-CEO Michał Nowakowski said on August 25, 2026 that The Witcher IV is targeting a 2028 release.
- The Witcher IV will not be exhibited at gamescom 2026.
- Over 500 staff members are involved in the development of The Witcher IV.
- The Witcher IV was announced at The Game Awards in 2024 and features Ciri as the protagonist.
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt expansion Songs of the Past is scheduled for release in 2027 on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.
Reporting from 2 sources: 4Gamer.net, Denfaminicogamer.
CD PROJEKT RED co-CEO Michał Nowakowski released a video message ahead of gamescom 2026 on August 25, stating that The Witcher IV is in development with a target release of 2028. The game will not be exhibited at gamescom 2026, which opens later that week. Nowakowski described the project as the company's largest, boldest, and most ambitious work to date, with over 500 staff members involved in its development. The Witcher IV was announced at The Game Awards in 2024 and opens a new chapter in the series, placing Ciri, Geralt's adopted daughter, as the protagonist. The video did not communicate an exact release date. CD PROJEKT RED's presence at gamescom 2026 will instead center on the new expansion content Songs of the Past for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, scheduled for release in 2027. That expansion returns Geralt as the protagonist and is planned for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. Nowakowski said further announcements related to The Witcher, including Songs of the Past, will continue.
The 2028 target for The Witcher IV follows an earlier statement from CD Projekt during its Q3 2025 earnings call on November 26, 2025, which outlined a new trilogy starting with The Witcher IV and planned all titles in that trilogy to release within six years. That earlier call had pointed to a 2027 release for The Witcher IV, so the new video updates the timeline to 2028. Nowakowski's message frames The Witcher IV as the largest-scale title CD PROJEKT RED has attempted, with a development team of over 500 staff.
At gamescom 2026, the studio's focus shifts to Songs of the Past, the major expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. That expansion is scheduled for delivery in 2027 and brings back Geralt as the protagonist. Platform support for Songs of the Past covers PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. The Witcher IV will not be shown at the event, but Nowakowski said announcements related to The Witcher franchise would continue beyond the expansion's reveal.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.