Witcher 4 director denies Ciri face change rumors

Developer Clarifies Ciri's Appearance in Witcher 4 Footage

Following fan speculation about Ciri's facial appearance in new Witcher 4 footage, game director Sebastian Kalemba has confirmed the character model remains unchanged from the original trailer.

CD Projekt recently released a behind-the-scenes look at The Witcher 4's cinematic trailer, featuring two close-up shots of Ciri at the 2:11 and 5:47 timestamps. Many fans noted subtle differences in her facial features compared to the reveal trailer, sparking online discussions about potential model changes.

The response to these new shots has been largely positive, with one fan commenting: "This is the perfect representation of a slightly older Ciri. She looks fantastic!" However, Kalemba clarified these differences simply reflect the development process rather than any modification to Ciri's model.

Lighting and Production Context Matters

In a social media statement, Kalemba explained: "The behind-the-scenes video shows the exact same in-game model as the original trailer. What viewers are seeing is raw footage without facial animation, cinematic lighting, or post-processing effects."

The director emphasized this variation is completely normal during game development, where character appearances may differ between trailers, 3D models, and final in-game implementations. As one Reddit user humorously noted: "Redditor discovers how lighting affects in-game faces, remains confused."

Why Ciri Was Chosen as Protagonist

The Witcher 4 marks the beginning of a new trilogy featuring Ciri as the main character. Executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga told IGN: "Ciri was always the organic choice. She's a beautifully developed character from the books, and this feels like her natural continuation after Geralt's story."

Kalemba added: "We've had this discussion for nearly a decade. Ciri's journey offers incredible storytelling potential and gives players more freedom to shape her character compared to Geralt."

Original Geralt voice actor Doug Cockle expressed his excitement about the creative decision: "Transitioning to Ciri makes perfect sense story-wise. I've always thought this would be an interesting direction - it honors the books while moving the series forward."

CD Projekt has emphasized this protagonist choice was deliberate rather than reactionary. Kalemba concluded: "Ciri deserves this spotlight. Her story has so much to say, and the challenges she faces provide incredible creative energy for our team."