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A leading developer on The Witcher 4 says he's "pretty confident" about the game - because CD Projekt Red is such a pivotal part of the franchise's success.
In an interview with PC Gamer, The Witcher 3 lead writer Marcin Blacha, who's returning to his role on The Witcher 4, explained that that confidence stems from CDPR's history with all things The Witcher: "It's a very well-established franchise. People love it, we know how to handle it. I'm pretty confident about The Witcher 4."
While Blacha acknowledges that CDPR didn't create Geralt and the world he inhabits, he does claim that "we made [the franchise] popular through the games."
In the past, he says, the company didn't have that same popularity to coast on, but now, he says that the series has "shaped me in a way that I became confident about it…and it doesn't make me anxious anymore. It just goes on."
"And it's a nice feeling because I know that I created something big, and probably I will be remembered because of it."
Exactly how the series' actual creator, Witcher author Andrezj Sapkowski, might feel about Blacha's claims around its popularity isn't clear (though historically he's seemed pleased to work with both CD Projekt on the games and with Netflix on the Witcher TV series). It can't be denied, however, that The Witcher may well have remained a cult hit with little popularity outside of its native Poland were it not for the global success of the game trilogy.
Either way, Blacha's confidence remains reassuring, particularly in the wake of Cyberpunk 2077's launch. While CD Projekt Red has firmly reversed the narrative about that game, I'd be surprised if 'confident' was a word that described any developers' attitude in the weeks leading up to the studio's last major release. But with lessons apparently learned from last time, it seems that we won't see a similar nightmare with The Witcher 4.
