Does Ciri Look Different? Here's What's New With The Witcher 4

Last Tuesday, we just got a glimpse of what The Witcher 4 has to offer at Epic Games' Unreal Fest. The event held in Orlando, Florida saw CD Projekt Red developers unveil improvements to the game with Unreal Engine 5.

We managed to get a new cinematic and a demo that certainly drove the hype for the anticipated title. This comes from over a decade of development, marking the game as a generational iteration of the franchise.

While the game itself is shaping up to be excellent, most of us are wise to keep our heads leveled. After all, a trailer doesn't always equate to what people end up getting on their consoles. Bear in mind, the game is roughly 2-3 years away from its official launch.

The Witcher 4 will be the studio's first title after moving on from their in-house game engine tools. With Unreal Engine 5, they shared how well it could run at 60fps on a base PS5 with the attendees. We also got a look at the player's new horse named Kelpie.

Trailer Buzz and an Updated Look for Ciri

The trailer was notable from start to end, starting with crooked elites meeting an unfortunate fate on the road. The video then transitions cleanly into a wanderer investigating the scene, revealed to be Ciri.

Viewers will notice that she looks a little different from her initial appearance via the trailer from The Game Awards. But yes, the former princess and Geralt of Rivia's mentee is all grown up.

Simply put, she's much older now, which should explain why her new model looks different from its predecessor. It's currently up for debate whether or not she looks younger or more rugged. As mentioned, this is likely due to the studio's decision to leverage Unreal Engine 5.

CD Projekt Red addressed the concerns about the 2024 cinematic in a behind-the-scenes video. The studio said that character models should naturally look different depending on things like rendering style and medium.

'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,' said game director Sebastian Kalemba.

In addition, a report from Kotaku said a spokesperson from the studio mentioned only two changes to Ciri for the 2025 trailer.

'It's the same character model we used in the 2025 trailer', "Ciri's face is a direct copy of The Wither 3 model, adapted to work with the latest MetaHuman technology. Two subtle changes were made to improve animation quality. This includes slightly raised eyebrows and a more relaxed eye area."

Tech Demo Content

The real reward for fans of the franchise was seeing Ciri, now the game's protagonist, wander around an open world. The tech demo showed her exploring the wilderness and villages with NPCs.

It's a Unreal Engine 5 showcase that flexes modernity with excellent detail, realistic movement, and overall seamlessness. Some of the notable elements in-game include falling snowflakes and icy river currents that adds to the immersion.

However, I should note that the footage shown was a tech demo for Unreal and not the game itself. How Ciri looks along with the open world will be subject to change throughout development.

The takeaway from the event is that CD Projekt Red has done some great work. The studio is poised to deliver, making the wait more than worth it for fans of The Witcher franchise. The in-game footage should speak for itself.