Since its announcement at the 2024 Game Awards, The Witcher 4 has intrigued as much as it has fascinated. Developed by CD Projekt RED, this new opus must succeed The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, a game that has become an essential reference in open world RPG since its release in 2015. At the heart of expectations, one question keeps coming up: will the map be bigger? While players are already imagining an even larger universe, the first responses from the developers provide a very different vision.
The Witcher 4, a map comparable to that of The Witcher 3
Contrary to what many hoped, The Witcher 4 will not necessarily seek to expand its playing field at all costs. The first information confirms a more measured approach. The executive producer confirmed: “we are introducing new regions.”
This means that exploration will remain at the heart of the game, but with a renewal of the environments rather than a simple extension of the total surface. An orientation that contrasts with the current trend of always wanting to offer larger cards.
CD Projekt RED favors quality over size
The game director provided major clarification on this decision. According to him, the objective is not to break surface area records, but to offer a more dense experience.
“The map is overall, in terms of size and quantity of quests, about the same. Again, the game is going to be big. But also, the ambition of the whole team is huge. So first and foremost, we want to deliver an extremely compelling experience… Again, quality over quantity. But what we can promise is that this game will be really big. It will be big compared to everything we’ve done so far.”
This choice is directly reminiscent of what made The Witcher 3 so successful. With its six distinct regions, the game already offered a balance between richness and exploration, without falling into an excess of empty content.
An open world that remains ambitious and renewed
Even with a similar size, The Witcher 4 doesn’t just replicate the previous formula. The introduction of new regions opens the door to territories never before explored in the saga.
Areas like Cintra, Rivia or Mahakam could finally appear, as can the return of emblematic regions. This alternation between novelty and familiarity could reinforce immersion. The use of Unreal Engine 5 also allows us to glimpse a world that is more alive, more detailed and more dynamic than ever.
A strong expectation around the overall experience
This approach is slightly divisive. Some players were hoping for an even larger world, while others welcome this more controlled choice. The idea of favoring more elaborate quests and richer environments seems to appeal to part of the community. The memory of certain emblematic areas of The Witcher 3, such as Novigrad or Skellige, still remains very present.
In this context, The Witcher 4 appears to be a clear bet: to offer less raw volume, but more depth. A direction that could redefine expectations around open-world RPGs.