Gamers had time to get nervous, but the Polish publisher allayed their concerns. The announcement of the “Songs of the Past” expansion for Wild Hunt is great news for Geralt fans. However, some of the community latched onto the dates: 2027 was cited as the earliest possible release date for the fourth installment. Rumors immediately began to circulate: would the debut be pushed back to at least 2028?

Apparently not. CD Projekt’s latest financial conference settled the matter.

The size of the Project Polaris development team

This figure is impressive. Moreover, the company has no plans to expand the team—though it does not rule out such a scenario. This is an important marker: production has long since moved beyond the early stages. Work is in full swing, even if the finish line is still far away.

And most importantly, the team’s management confirmed that all previous promises from the earnings calls remain valid. In short, the debut of The Witcher 4 is predicted to be no earlier than 2027. The key phrase here is “no earlier than.” The company never promised to release the game in 2027. Rather, it was phrased as “after 2026.” A cunning maneuver, but expected.

CD Projekt RED’s plans for the new trilogy

Some players are almost certain that delays are inevitable. Everyone remembers CD Projekt’s history—the “golden” delays of Cyberpunk 2077 still rankle. Plus, the peculiarities of developing modern AAA hits: rarely do they meet their deadlines.

Nevertheless, the developer confirmed the second part of the plan—releasing three Witcher games in six years. This gives hope: even if the fourth part is delayed, the delay could be minor. A couple of months, say, is not catastrophic.

As for the exact date, there’s complete silence. The studio does not even have an internal benchmark for The Witcher 4. The developers have asked investors and players for patience. And they have not confirmed whether they plan to release another DLC before the fourth installment. Incidentally, “Songs of the Past” is not exactly positioned as a prologue. Everything is shaky here.

What’s the end result? No more panic. The Witcher 4 is alive, a team of 513 people is working, and a three-part, six-year schedule is still CD Projekt’s official stance. There’s no date, but 2027 remains the earliest possible date. We’ll be patient.

The Witcher 4 release date and development timeline

Short summary: Development of The Witcher 4 (codenamed Project Polaris) began in 2021. The game entered full production in November 2024. Ciri has officially become the new saga’s protagonist. The project is being developed using Unreal Engine 5, and the minimum confirmed release date is 2027. In 2026, a team of more than 500 CD Projekt RED specialists is working on the game.

The Witcher 4 Development Stages on the UE5 Engine

CD Projekt RED began laying the foundation for the new installment in the franchise long before the first official announcements. In 2021, the studio launched a “parallel AAA development” strategy, dividing resources between addressing Cyberpunk 2077’s technical debt and conceptualizing the new Witcher.

Below is a complete timeline of the project’s formation, supported by financial reports:

Cyberpunk 2077 Experience and Console Tests

The lengthy pre-production phase from 2022 to 2024 may be mistakenly perceived by the audience as a delay. In reality, this represents a fundamental restructuring of the studio’s entire technical pipeline.

The transition from its in-house REDengine to Unreal Engine 5 required extensive tooling adjustments. The key production lesson learned by CDPR from the troubled release of Cyberpunk 2077 is the prioritization of early console testing. In the past, the late release of working builds for PS4 and Xbox One cost the studio its reputation, compensation payments to Sony, and three years of continuous patch releases.

This critical flaw has been addressed: The Witcher 4 pipeline incorporates continuous testing of console builds in the early stages.

Hiring Dynamics at CDPR

The main indicator of development progress is hiring dynamics. In less than three years, the Project Polaris team has scaled from 260 to 513 dedicated specialists.

According to Brooks’ Law in software engineering, adding new developers late in production only slows down the release of a product, not speeds it up. The current steady growth is typical of the midpoint of the production cycle. A key marker for the audience: when the Polaris team’s growth stalls or declines in CDPR’s quarterly reports, it will be a clear technical signal that the game has entered the final polishing stage and is truly approaching release.

Story DLCs for The Witcher 4

The Witcher 4 hasn’t even been released yet, and fans are already wondering: will there be major story expansions? It’s a good tradition—Blood and Wine and Hearts of Stone set the bar. But Michał Nowakowski (president of CD Projekt) reiterated the plan: “three games in six years” plus a bunch of smaller initiatives. Ambitious, yes. However, there’s almost no room left for large-scale add-ons like the ones we’re used to seeing.

The developer is not currently planning such major DLCs for The Witchers 4–6. The same logic applies here: CD Projekt’s expansions are always large, standalone projects, not just a couple of quests. They simply cannot fit into a tight schedule.

CD Projekt Announcements and Releases in 2026

The group has confirmed that releases or announcements are planned. And not just game-related ones. They’re talking about projects in “a very advanced stage of production.” Among them is a mobile game from Scopely. But even here, Nowakowski is cooling his ardor: “This is definitely not a 2026 project.” So, don’t expect the mobile game to take off in the next twelve months.

Secret Projects of the Polish Studio

What exactly is in development? Management confirmed: “advanced initiatives currently being funded” include two games and one other project. Which ones exactly is a secret.

Confirmed Dates for CDPR Presentations

What We Know for Sure: The dates are there. And they’re clear:

• July 3rd – Details for the second season of “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners” will be revealed. We’re waiting.
• Gamescom 2026 – The new expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be revealed. Most likely, it will be a guided session (a sort of interactive teaser).

CD Projekt’s other entertainment plans for 2026 are still up in the air. Perhaps we’ll hear about them at the summer presentations. Or maybe later. The company is not rushing to reveal all its cards.