The director of *The Witcher 4*, Sebastian Kalemba, has clarified that a new video released by CD Projekt features the same in-game model of Ciri, despite some fans noticing slight differences in her facial appearance. Yesterday, CD Projekt unveiled a behind-the-scenes look at the cinematic reveal trailer for *The Witcher 4*, showcasing two brief clips at the 2:11 and 5:47 marks that zoom in on Ciri’s face. Fans on social media and forums like Reddit were quick to point out these differences, with some praising the new looks as a "perfect representation of a slightly older Ciri."
Initial reactions to Ciri's appearance in the reveal trailer had sparked discussions about her looking "ugly," prompting speculation that CD Projekt might have altered her model in response to this feedback. However, Kalemba took to social media to dispel these rumors, stating, "The behind-the-scenes video features the same in-game model of Ciri as seen in the original trailer. 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."
Kalemba further explained that variations in character appearance are a normal part of the game development process, and that any character's look can differ depending on the medium, whether it's a trailer, a 3D model, or in-game. This clarification was humorously echoed by a commenter on the Witcher subreddit, who noted, "Redditor discovers the effect that lighting can have on an in-game face model, is confused."
*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 emphasized that Ciri was a "very organic, logical choice" for the protagonist, citing her rich, layered character from the books and the natural progression from Geralt's story.
Kalemba added that Ciri's younger age compared to Geralt allows players more freedom to shape her character, providing the developers with ample room to explore her story further. Despite potential backlash from some fans about Ciri's role, both Mitręga and Kalemba affirmed that Ciri was always intended to be the main character. Kalemba highlighted the deliberate nature of this decision, stating, "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."
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, noting the exciting potential for her character development based on the books.
For more insights into *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.
