The Witcher 4 starring Ciri does not make the game “woke,” according to Geralt voice actor Doug Cockle. He said in an interview with Fall Damage that it’s “just stupid” for anyone to think this.
He said Witcher fans who think this way might want to “read the damn books,” referring to author Andrzej Sapkowski’s work that serves as the inspiration for the game series.
“It’s not woke,” Cockle said, as reported by IGN. “There’s nothing woke about it. [Ciri]’s a cool character from The Witcher, and they’re gonna focus on that character, and that’s awesome.”
We’re not exactly sure how Cockle might define “woke.” It’s a term often thrown around without any specific meaning, after all.
After a trilogy of games star starred Geralt, Cockle said, “We’ve seen the end of Geralt’s journey,” adding that he celebrates Ciri and the fact that she’s the protagonist of The Witcher 4.
“If you read the books, then you understand why CD Projekt went down this avenue,” Cockle said about choosing Ciri as the protagonist. “There’s a whole rich world of stuff to explore with Ciri, that they didn’t do when they put her into Witcher 3, because the story was about Geralt. But she hints at it.”
“If you think it’s woke, read the damn books–they’re good, first of all. And secondly, you won’t think it’s so woke anymore,” he said.
The Witcher 4 kicks off a new trilogy of Witcher games that will span The Witcher 4-6. All of these games will be released within a six-year window after The Witcher 4 launches.
Geralt will appear in The Witcher 4, but only in a smaller, supporting role. Game director Sebastian Kalemba told PC Gamer that it was a “natural choice” for The Witcher 4 to tell its story from Ciri’s perspective, building off the narrative in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
“There’s plenty of room for her and for us, also, to build on top of [her]. There’s so much room for exploration, and because she’s such a nuanced character, the beginning of her journey gives us freedom and so many opportunities to be able to dig in and use [that] for good,” he said.
In other news, Kalemba recently discussed how he wants players the rewards for their choices in The Witcher 4.
In addition to The Witcher 4, CD Projekt is developing a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel and a Witcher 1 remake. Additionally, the company recently reached a deal with Saudi Arabia for a new game.
