The Witcher 4 is making work on tabletop RPG "impossible"

Dandelion sings to a crowded inn in artwork from a The Witcher tabletop RPG expansion — (Image credit: R. Talsorian Games)

The long-running Witcher tabletop RPG will be going on a lengthy hiatus thanks to the Witcher 4 (codenamed 'Polaris'), but all is not lost.

Commenting to IGN on the "disappointing" pause in development, Witcher tabletop RPG lead developer Cody Pondsmith noted that they "don't have a time frame yet as many things are still up in the air" with the Witcher 4. Because of their interconnected nature (the RPG is set between the second and third video games, and both teams communicate regularly to make sure they share a consistent canon), little can apparently be done until Polaris is further in development.

Although the exact reason for holding fire on the pen-and-paper RPG hasn't been confirmed, it's presumably due to the Witcher 4's storylines not being locked in yet. In the original post announcing this delay, Pondsmith noted that his team "had countless meetings covering days’ worth of time discussing the lore of The Continent and the direction of the Witcher franchise. What we've come to realize is that it would be extremely difficult or perhaps impossible to continue work on The Witcher TTRPG line at the moment and still maintain the connection with [Witcher 4 developer] CD Projekt Red’s upcoming plans."

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However, the Witcher tabletop RPG "is not dead." In his conversation with IGN, Pondsmith said that the team will instead work on "free downloadable content on our website focusing on well-established concepts in the Witcher canon that won't be touched by The Witcher 4." That means fans of the best tabletop RPGs will still have something new to look forward to.

If you're new to the Witcher tabletop RPG, on the other hand, there's plenty to keep you busy until more content is available. You can either download the free Easy Mode booklet for a taste of how it all works, opt for the classic core rulebook on Amazon / Amazon UK, or try one of its four expansions available as PDFs on DriveThruRPG.

For more recommendations, check out an equally good adaptation in The One Ring Starter Set, the dark fantasy Mork Borg, or even the best board games.

I've been writing about games in one form or another since 2012, but these days you'll find me managing GamesRadar+'s tabletop gaming and toy coverage (I spend my time here handling everything from board game reviews to the latest Lego news). I've also been obsessed with Warhammer since the 1990s, and love nothing more than running tabletop RPGs like D&D as a Dungeon Master.