"Witcher 4 Director Denies Changes to Ciri's Face"

The director of *The Witcher 4*, Sebastian Kalemba, has clarified that a new video features the same in-game model of Ciri, dispelling rumors that her face had been altered after some fans thought it looked different. Yesterday, CD Projekt released a behind-the-scenes look at *The Witcher 4*'s cinematic reveal trailer, and fans quickly noticed two brief clips at the 2:11 and 5:47 marks that show new close-ups of Ciri. These clips led to comments from fans, many of whom noted a slight difference in Ciri's facial appearance compared to her portrayal in the cinematic reveal trailer. One fan described the 5:47 clip as a "perfect representation of a slightly older Ciri," expressing satisfaction with her updated look.

Ciri at 2:11 in the new Witcher 4 video. Image credit: CD Projekt.

Initial speculation on the internet suggested that Ciri's new look might be a response to criticism that she appeared "ugly" in the reveal trailer. However, the response to the new clips was overwhelmingly positive, leading some to believe that CD Projekt had made changes to her model. Addressing these rumors, Kalemba took to social media to clarify that the behind-the-scenes video indeed features the same in-game model of Ciri as seen in the original trailer, without any modifications.

"The behind-the-scenes video features the same in-game model of Ciri as seen in the original trailer," Kalemba stated. "We have not modified it. What you’re seeing is raw footage — without facial animation, lighting, or virtual camera lenses. While it’s still in-engine, it represents a work-in-progress snapshot taken before we applied cinematic touches for the purpose of that video. This variation is a natural part of the game development process. At this point, any character's appearance may vary depending on the medium — whether it’s in a trailer, a 3D model, or in-game."

Ciri at 5:47 in the new Witcher 4 video. Image credit: CD Projekt.

*The Witcher 4* marks the beginning of a new trilogy set after the events of *The Witcher 3*, with Ciri taking the lead role instead of Geralt. In an exclusive interview with IGN, executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga explained that choosing Ciri as the protagonist was a "very organic, logical choice." She emphasized Ciri's depth and complexity, noting that the character's journey was always central to the saga. "It was always about her, starting from Saga when you read it in the books. She's an amazing, layered character. And of course, as a protagonist we said goodbye to Geralt previously. So this is a continuation. I guess for all of us it’s like she was meant to be. That was always her."

Kalemba added that Ciri's younger age compared to Geralt allows players more freedom to shape her character, providing developers with greater scope to explore her story. Despite potential backlash from some fans regarding Ciri's role, both Mitręga and Kalemba affirmed that Ciri was always intended to be the main character. "There was an intention behind this choice," Kalemba said. "It was far from roulette. It wasn't random. I remember we had discussions nine years ago, we were talking about who's next? The very, very instant answer was Ciri. There are many reasons behind that. We've already mentioned a few. But she really deserves a stage and we want players to really experience her story because she has so much to tell, so much to prove. The amount of challenges that are in front of her give us so much amazing energy and fuel to create an epic saga that we had no choice but to go with it. We all felt that this is the way. I believe this is the super right choice."

Ciri in one shot from the official The Witcher 4 cinematic reveal trailer. Image credit: CD Projekt.

In a separate interview with IGN about Netflix's upcoming animated film, *The Witcher: Sirens of The Deep*, Geralt's voice actor Doug Cockle expressed his support for CD Projekt's decision to focus on Ciri. "I'm really excited," he said. "I think it's a really good move. I mean, I always thought that continuing the Saga, but shifting to Ciri would be a really, really interesting move for all kinds of reasons, but mostly because of things that happen in the books, which I don't want to give away because people, I want people to go read. So yeah, I think it's really exciting. I can't wait. I can't wait to see what they've done."

For more on *The Witcher 4*, check out our exclusive content, including a trailer breakdown and an interview with CD Projekt where they discuss how they plan to avoid a *Cyberpunk 2077*-style launch disaster.