Some recent behind-the-scenes footage shown about the making of The Witcher 4‘s reveal trailer seems to have caused some controversy. Some had taken to social media believing that, since the release of the trailer, developer CD Projekt RED had changed the model for protagonist Ciri.
Game director Sebastian Kalemba, however, took to social media platform X to dispel these rumours. Responding to a now-deleted post, Kalemba revealed that the behind-the-scenes footage featured the same model of Ciri as what we had seen in the game’s original trailer.
Kalemba explained that the model looks different because it was shown off without any facial animation, lighting, or virtual camera lenses, and that it was merely a work-in-progress snapshot before it was touched up to be used for the trailer.
“The behind-the-scenes video features the same in-game model of Ciri as seen in the original trailer,” wrote Kalemba. “We have not modified it. What you’re seeing is raw footage—without facial animation, lighting, or virtual camera lenses. While it’s still in-engine, it represents a work-in-progress snapshot taken before we applied cinematic touches for the purpose of that video.”
“This variation is a natural part of the game development process. At this point, any character’s appearance may vary depending on the medium—whether it’s in a trailer, a 3D model, or in-game.”
The behind-the-scenes footage was shown off in the latest episode of CD Projekt RED’s AnsweRED podcast, which you can check out below. The episode focused on the making of the reveal trailer, along with various aspects, including storytelling, and the emotions that Ciri would portray.
Ciri was confirmed as the new protagonist for The Witcher 4 back when the game was first announced in December 2024. While the move was seen as somewhat controversial, narrative director Philipp Webber mentioned that the decision wasn’t made with a disregard for established canon and lore for The Witcher.
“I can actually give you a very good answer because it’s the answer Andrzej Sapkowski usually gives: the answer is in the books,” said Webber. “In the books, Andrzej Sapkowski calls Ciri a Witcher multiple times, and Geralt calls Ciri a Witcher in the books too. So, I think that basically says what Andrzej Sapkowski thinks about the topic.”
While the story will certainly be different since we’ll be seeing things from Ciri’s perspective, gameplay will also see some changes. Back in December, executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga spoke about how Ciri will be much more nimble and agile than Geralt was in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
“She’s faster, more agile – but you can still tell that she was raised by Geralt, right?” said Mitręga.
Geralt voice actor Doug Cockle also spoke about the decision to make Ciri the protagonist, calling it “a really good move.”
“I’m really excited,” said Cockle. “I think it’s a really good move. I mean, I always thought that continuing the Saga, but shifting to Ciri would be a really, really interesting move for all kinds of reasons, but mostly because of things that happen in the books, which I don’t want to give away because people, I want people to go read. So yeah, I think it’s really exciting. I can’t wait. I can’t wait to see what they’ve done.”
The Witcher 4 is currently in development for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
The behind-the-scenes video features the same in-game model of Ciri as seen in the original trailer. We have not modified it. What you’re seeing is raw footage—without facial animation, lighting, or virtual camera lenses. While it’s still in-engine, it represents a… https://t.co/krs0czANqK
— Sebastian Kalemba (@Skalemba) February 27, 2025
