After years of whispers and wild speculation, CD Projekt Red has finally offered a real glimpse of The Witcher 4. The studio unveiled a new tech demo during the 2025 State of Unreal showcase — and in doing so, quietly confirmed the game’s setting: the snow-capped, mage-friendly kingdom of Kovir. For longtime fans of the series, it’s a major shift north — both geographically and thematically.
The demo follows Ciri, now positioned as the protagonist, riding through jagged mountains and into the bustling port city of Valdrest. It’s a clear flex of what Unreal Engine 5.6 can do: densely layered environments, expressive NPCs, and a living world that feels more reactive than anything we’ve seen in the franchise. But it’s the backdrop that’s causing the biggest stir.
Why Kovir? And why now?
Kovir has long existed in the margins of the Witcher universe. Mentioned frequently in the books and games, it’s described as an economic powerhouse, rich in natural resources and fiercely neutral during the Continent’s endless wars. It’s also one of the few places where mages aren’t burned, hanged, or hunted down. In fact, it’s a safe haven — the kind of place where magic users are advisors to kings, not fugitives in back alleys.
And if the name Kovir rings a bell for Witcher 3 players, it should. During Triss Merigold’s storyline, she helps smuggle persecuted mages out of Novigrad with the promise of refuge in Kovir. Depending on player choices, Triss either leaves alone or, in one of the game’s possible endings, Geralt follows her. There, she becomes a royal advisor; he takes contracts between dinners with nobility. It’s one of the franchise’s quieter, happier resolutions — and a sign that Kovir, while often offscreen, has always been a kind of fantasy Switzerland with better robes.
A New Continent, A New Tone
Setting the next Witcher game in Kovir opens up a different kind of narrative possibility. This isn’t war-torn Temeria or Nilfgaardian-occupied Velen — this is a wealthy, well-run kingdom with its own tensions and politics. The kind of place where a monster in the woods might be less terrifying than a court scandal. And with Ciri at the center of it all, it’s likely we’ll see her mature through a morally ambiguous storyline — one that balances swordplay with diplomacy, and possibly, Gwent.
There’s still no release window (though the devs have said it won’t be before 2027), and plenty of questions remain — about the combat, the timeline, and just how much of Kovir we’ll get to explore. But if the demo’s lush detail and deliberate pacing are any indication, CD Projekt is aiming to reintroduce The Witcher not just as an action RPG, but as a prestige fantasy epic. One that finally gives Kovir the screen time it’s always deserved. Check out the full tech demo here: