Andrzej Sapkowski was asked about CD Projekt Red’s upcoming Witcher 4 and claims he has no involvement. There are some good reasons why this makes sense.
The original author of the Witcher series has revealed more information about their connection to The Witcher 4, CD Projekt Red’s next big game. Andrzej Sapkowski has published 8 novels and multiple short stories set in the Witcher universe since the early 90s. In the past, Sapkowski has often served as a point of contact and source of advice for the Polish video game studio, and he has even shared his praise for certain aspects. But when it comes to the exciting new project, The Witcher 4, Sapkowski says that “it’s so rare” for the development team to come to him anymore.
Witcher author Andrzej Sapkowski says he has not contributed to the Witcher 4
Initially reported by GamesRadar+, these comments from Sapkowski were in response to questions asked at his latest book event for a new novel, a Witcher prequel titled Crossroads of Ravens. When asked if he had worked with CD Projekt Red on The Witcher 4 at all, “he said that he hadn’t contributed to the new game…” There are many factors that could have led to Sapkowski’s lack of involvement in the new entry.
The latest release in the Witcher video game series was CDPR’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which was released over a decade ago in May 2015. After that success, at least on some level, Sapkowski realized the value of The Witcher, which he had already sold to CD Projekt Red for a single lump sum. In 2018, he wrote an open letter to the development studio demanding royalty payments that, apparently, were not included in the original agreement. The two parties agreed on a private settlement in 2019, but it’s not hard to imagine that there could still be some tension there.
At the same book event, Sapkowski said, “The contracts between me and the game people are excellent right now… Let’s hope it stays that way.” This is from the author’s perspective, so there’s no telling how CDPR feels about the contracts.
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Meanwhile, CDPR has proven its value to this partnership. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is now a decade old and still widely regarded as one of the best games of all time. Cyberpunk 2077 may have had an infamous launch, but it has since earned respect with fixes, updates, and the Phantom Liberty DLC. The Witcher games are not direct adaptations of Sapkowski’s books, but a continuation of the story, so they aren’t exactly relying on the author to provide further story.
Ultimately, we will have to wait to learn more. The Witcher 4 likely won’t release for at least another few years. But between now and then, we may get another trailer or two. Or maybe a deeper look at how the game looks and runs, like we did this summer at the State of Unreal.
