The Witcher 3 says ‘nyet’ to Russian voices in new expansion - TVP World
Polish games developer CD Projekt RED said the decision was linked to Russia’s war on Ukraine. The upcoming third expansion for cult fantasy game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will not feature Russian voice acting, Polish developer CD Projekt RED has said. CD Projekt RED also revealed that it had pushed back its target release window for The Witcher 4, the next game in the series, to 2028.
Polish games developer CD Projekt RED said the decision was linked to Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The upcoming third expansion for cult fantasy game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will not feature Russian voice acting, Polish developer CD Projekt RED has said.
Songs of the Past, due to drop next year, will instead immediately switch to Polish voice acting upon launch. Russian subtitles and written text will still be available.
The company said in a social media post that the decision followed its move to “cease cooperation with tax residents of Russia and Belarus starting from March 2022,” a month after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
It added that Russian voice acting will remain in the base game and its two previously released expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine.
The Witcher franchise is based on the novels of the same name by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, which follow the adventures of monster slayer Geralt of Rivia and draw heavily on Slavic folklore and mythology.
Released in 2015, The Witcher 3 received widespread critical acclaim and became one of the best-selling role-playing games of all time, selling more than 60 million copies worldwide.
CD Projekt RED announced this week that it will also release a remastered version of The Witcher 3 on September 29.
The remaster will include the original game and its two existing expansions, and will be available as a free upgrade for existing owners.
“This maps a great opportunity for people, who have perhaps only played the base game, to jump in with the improvements on the remaster update and get a whole lot of stuff for free before we ship the Songs of the Past,” CD Projekt RED design lead Miles Tost said after the remastered version’s trailer showcase at Gamescom.
CD Projekt RED also revealed that it had pushed back its target release window for The Witcher 4, the next game in the series, to 2028.
Shares in the Polish company closed almost 6% lower after Tuesday’s session, reflecting investor disappointment that the highly anticipated game would not arrive in 2027 as previously anticipated.
The Witcher 4 will be the first game to follow the saga’s main female protagonist, Ciri, the adopted daughter of Geralt.