The director of The Witcher 4, Sebastian Kalemba, has set the record straight on a new video that features Ciri's in-game model, addressing fan speculation about changes to her appearance. Recently, CD Projekt released a behind-the-scenes video showcasing the cinematic reveal trailer for The Witcher 4, which included two brief clips at the 2:11 and 5:47 marks that gave fans a closer look at Ciri. These moments sparked discussions among fans, who noted subtle differences in Ciri's facial features compared to the cinematic trailer.
Commenters on the video were quick to share their thoughts, with some expressing enthusiasm about Ciri's appearance in these clips. One fan even described the 5:47 mark as showcasing a "perfect representation of an [sic] slightly older Ciri," appreciating the character's updated look. However, this led to speculation that CD Projekt might have altered Ciri's face model in response to earlier criticism labeling her appearance as "ugly" in the reveal trailer.
Addressing these rumors head-on, Kalemba took to social media to clarify that the in-game model of Ciri shown in the behind-the-scenes video is the same as in the original trailer. He explained that the footage in the new video was raw, lacking the cinematic enhancements such as facial animation, lighting, and virtual camera effects that were applied in the reveal trailer.
"The behind-the-scenes video features the same in-game model of Ciri as seen in the original trailer," Kalemba stated. "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."
He further noted that variations in character appearances are a normal part of the game development process, and that such differences can occur depending on the medium — whether it's a trailer, a 3D model, or in-game. A witty comment from a user on the Witcher subreddit summed up the situation: "Redditor discovers the effect that lighting can have on an in-game face model, is confused."
The Witcher 4 marks the beginning of a new trilogy set after the events of The Witcher 3, with Ciri stepping into the spotlight as the main character, rather than Geralt. In an exclusive interview with IGN, executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga emphasized that choosing Ciri as the protagonist was a natural and logical decision.
"It was always about her, starting from Saga when you read it in the books," Mitręga said. "She's an amazing, layered character. And of course, as a protagonist we said goodbye to Geralt previously. So this is a continuation. I guess for all of us it's like she was meant to be. That was always her."
Kalemba added that Ciri's younger age compared to Geralt provides players with greater freedom to shape her character, and allows the developers more room to delve deeper into her story. Despite potential backlash from some quarters about Ciri's role, both Mitręga and Kalemba confirmed that Ciri was always intended to be the central figure of The Witcher 4.
"There was an intention behind this choice," Kalemba explained. "It was far from roulette. It wasn't random. I remember we had discussions nine years ago, we were talking about who's next? The very, very instant answer was Ciri. There are many reasons behind that. We've already mentioned a few. But she really deserves a stage and we want players to really experience her story because she has so much to tell, so much to prove. The amount of challenges that are in front of her give us so much amazing energy and fuel to create an epic saga that we had no choice but to go with it. We all felt that this is the way. I believe this is the super right choice."
In a separate interview with IGN regarding Netflix's upcoming animated film, The Witcher: Sirens of The Deep, Geralt's voice actor Doug Cockle expressed his support for CD Projekt's decision to focus on Ciri in The Witcher 4. "I'm really excited," he said. "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."
For more on The Witcher 4, including a trailer breakdown and insights into how CD Projekt plans to avoid a Cyberpunk 2077-style launch, stay tuned to our exclusive content.
