According to a job listing posted by development studio CD Projekt Red, The Witcher 4 may be in the early stages of production.
The listing is for an "Open World Designer (Junior/Specialist)," who will be required to "fill our game world with believable and exciting content consisting of communities and events that players will encounter." While the game's title is unspecified, the post goes on to say that applicants should have experience in modding and a passion for playing "cRPGS or pen & paper role playing systems."
While some fans speculate that the listing may be in relation to CD Projekt Red's recent Cyberpunk 2077, the desire for applicants with a passion for cRPGS, or "Computer Role-Playing Game," suggests a different project. cRPGs are known for featuring character creation, dialogue trees and plenty of menus for dedicated players to sift through. Notable examples in the genre include the Baldur's Gate series or Larian Studio's Divinity: Original Sin 2.
While Cyberpunk 2077 is a role-playing game, it doesn't fit into the category of cRPG. Given The Witcher's theme, setting and design, it's possible that the next entry in the franchise could take on a slightly different form than the action-adventure angle seen in previous games.
It's also possible that the listing is for a wholly new title, distinct from The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt has worked exclusively within those franchises since 2007, so a new IP could be on the cards.
Given the current popularity of The Witcher, a return to Geralt of Rivia's adventures would make sense. The dark fantasy universe created by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski has steadily grown its fanbase, resulting in CD Projekt Red's beloved video game series as well as live-action and animated Netflix series.
As for Cyberpunk 2077, the highly-anticipated game released in 2020 to mixed reviews and much controversy. Despite several years of development and a handful of sizable delays, the game was widely considered to be a mess at launch. Glitchy, broken and virtually unplayable on older consoles, Cyberpunk 2077 has received several major patches to stabilize the experience. CD Projekt Red has promised several significant expansions for its neon-soaked RPG but has yet to provide a specific release window for any of them.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is considered to be one of the best games of the last generation, with many fans insisting it to be one of the best role-playing games of all time. It's available across a wide range of platforms, including PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Source: GameJobs.co