‘The Witcher IV’ Director Reveals Thoughtful Approach to In-Game Romance

CD Projekt Red recently announced "The Witcher IV" with Ciri as the main protagonist. Game director Sebastian Kalemba talked about their thoughtful approach to in-game romance.

Kalemba and executive producer Malgorzata Mitrega talked about the game in a recent interview following the reveal of the latest entry in the franchise. The director confirmed that there will be romance in "The Witcher IV" that players can expect to experience.

Romance in The Witcher IV

He noted that it was part of the way that they make games, adding that it is also part of human nature. Kalemba even went so far as to say that without romance, the studio would not be able to tell the full story of the game.

However, Kalemba noted that they were always trying to pay a lot of attention to the feature to make it highly compelling and meaningful. This means that "The Witcher IV" will not have romance just for the sake of romance, according to Game Spot.

Romance in "The Witcher" franchise has already seen Geralt of Rivia getting together with Triss and Yennefer before deciding to settle down with his preferred love interest in the final act of "The Witcher III: The Wild Hunt."

Some fans argue that Ciri, within the series' lore, is queer, which was somewhat seen in one particular scene in "The Witcher III: The Wild Hunt." This is when Ciri awakens following an intense battle in a small village.

Ciri's Role as Main Protagonist

She later gets an invitation to go to the local baths from a couple of women, and players are given a choice to go in with a cover or topless. This was a small but important detail of how Ciri has changed her view of herself in the company of other women, The Gamer said.

The dialogue options that players encounter later on in that part of the game also reinforce this particular theory. After girls talk about their taste in men and their hopes for romance, Ciri has the option to say, "To be honest, I prefer women."

Choosing this option causes some of the other women with Ciri to have expressions of shock, while others are somewhat impressed with her candidness. This was also a notable moment of the game because "The Witcher III: The Wild Hunt" did not have any LGBTQ+ romance for the main characters.

The decision to move away from Geralt as the main character could help "The Witcher IV" offer players more freedom in romances. This is because the lore would no longer bind CD Projekt Red that tightly dictates Geralt's relationships, according to Game Rant.