The 2024 edition of The Game Awards kicked off with a surprise unveiling of The Witcher 4, the highly anticipated next installment in the beloved fantasy franchise. CD Projekt Red, the developer behind the series, revealed a lengthy cinematic trailer that introduced Ciri as the protagonist, taking center stage in her own journey to become a professional monster slayer.

The nearly six-minute trailer showcased Ciri's new abilities and tools, including a chain and advanced magic powers, as she takes on a witcher contract in a remote village terrorized by a fearsome monster demanding human sacrifices. The trailer's narrative is framed as a short, self-contained Witcher story, highlighting Ciri's perspective as an outsider to the village and her confrontation with the prejudices and superstitions of the people she tries to protect.

While the trailer provides a glimpse into the game's world and Ciri's character, CD Projekt Red notes that it may not be entirely representative of the final game. The studio has been working on the follow-up to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, previously codenamed "Polaris," which is intended to kick off a new saga for the franchise. The game is currently in the "full-scale production phase" of development, utilizing Unreal Engine 5, which the studio adopted following the troubled launch of Cyberpunk 2077.

The cinematic trailer itself was pre-rendered in a custom build of Unreal Engine 5 on an unannounced NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU. Although no details on platforms or release timing have been announced, the reveal of The Witcher 4 has generated significant excitement among fans and gamers alike. The shift to Ciri as the protagonist marks a new direction for the series, and the single-player, open-world RPG experience promises to deliver a fresh and immersive gaming experience.

The Witcher franchise has a dedicated fan base, and the anticipation surrounding The Witcher 4 has been building for some time. With CD Projekt Red's reputation for delivering high-quality, engaging games, expectations are high for the next installment. As more information becomes available, fans will be eagerly watching for updates on the game's development and release.

The unveiling of The Witcher 4 at The Game Awards serves as a testament to the growing importance of the event in the gaming industry. The Game Awards has become a platform for major announcements and reveals, and this year's event has already delivered some significant surprises. As the gaming industry continues to evolve, events like The Game Awards will play an increasingly important role in shaping the narrative and driving excitement around new releases.