The Witcher 4 has the potential to be everything we wanted

The Witcher 4, or Project Polaris, is currently in development at CD Projekt Red and with its previous entry considered as one of the best RPGs of all time, it is no surprise that fans are eagerly anticipating the story’s continuation.

Although it may be a while until The Witcher 4 is officially released, that doesn’t mean we can’t start speculating as to how the next entry can improve on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

That is why I’ve compiled a list of some features some fans are hoping will be implemented in the next instalment so without further ado, let’s take a look.

More gay

Yep, you read that correctly. As with any RPG, making its characters as close to real life as possible is a must and that means catering to all the different sexualities, genders and identities of its audience.

That is why many players are calling out for The Witcher 4 to feature more explicitly queer characters.

As it stands, Ciri can be any sexuality of the player’s choosing and characters such as Philippa Eilhart are also written as bisexual.

However, it would be cool to see same-sex relationships come to the forefront in the next entry.

CD Projekt Red

Overhauled combat

There is no denying that combat in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is pretty fun with Geralt able to switch between weapons based on his enemy as well as utilise his Witcher spells.

However, it can sometimes feel a bit rough and players need not even use spells if they don’t want to.

As a result, putting more importance on the signs as well as adding more versatile combat could be appreciated in the future.

Additionally, combat already felt improved in Blood & Wine so we are feeling optimistic.

Ciri in the lead

Perhaps the biggest question for The Witcher 4 is who will be our main character considering CD Projekt Red is reportedly done with Geralt at the helm.

Although it is yet to be confirmed, many fans think and wish that it will be Ciri taking the charge as her journey is only just beginning during the events of The Witcher 3.

As Geralt’s protégé and harbouring immense power herself, it would be interesting to see where her journey would lead her especially as it ends on something of a cliffhanger in the game.

Create your own Witcher

This feature is highly contested amongst the fanbase but some players would like to see us be able to create our very own Witcher in the next instalment.

Much like V in Cyberpunk 2077 who, despite being customised by the player, still has a set story without any deviations, some players would like to see CD Projekt Red do this with its other RPG series.

However, this would mean the game would stray dramatically from the books it was inspired on and it is doubtful that its developers would want to do this.

Either way, creating a Witcher character would be pretty cool.

CD Projekt Red

Less objective markers

As with any open-world RPG, it is pretty easy to get overwhelmed with all the markers on the map.

Whether it is directing you to main missions, side missions, the local hairdressers or even a point of interest, sometimes you just want to switch it all off and explore more organically.

That is why some players would like to see less objective markers with the developers encouraging exploration. This is seen in titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and has worked very well.

Better sailing mechanics

Sailing is a pretty small feature in The Witcher 3 and is only really utilised when players get to Skellige.

However, with our main character frequently travelling long distances across countless seas, it would make sense for ship gameplay and maybe even combat to become a bigger feature.

Think Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and not Skull and Bones.

Less heavy dialogue

Before the attacks start, this was not my suggestion. Additionally, this is more of a request for when you start a new game and want to get into the nitty gritty of the RPG without having to listen to multiple lines of dialogue.

There is no denying that The Witcher universe has a lot of lore to explore, especially considering it is based upon a fantasy book series.

As a result, there is plenty that needs to be explained by various characters throughout the game but nobody has ever complained about being shown, not told and maybe this can be considered for The Witcher 4.

CD Projekt Red

UI/UX overhaul

As with any new entry, fans expect some quality-of-life improvements and one highly requested for The Witcher 4 is one that updates the title’s UX and UI.

Some report the current menus being too clunky and difficult to navigate and with any RPGs, there is so much to juggle that making sure it flows is a must.

This reportedly more obvious with the console version of The Witcher 3 where doing something as simple as applying oil to Geralt’s sword (no laughing) can multiple unnecessary steps and buttons.

In comparison to other RPGs such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Skyrim wins for having the most efficient menus.

More Gwent

More of a selfish addition to this list as I loved Gwent!

I hated it at first because I didn’t understand it but as soon as it clicked, I spent hours running around The Witcher 3’s map, challenging everybody and anybody to the card game.

I was invested in building my deck and being the best and even ended up buying my very own Gwent deck in real life.

As a result, I would love to see the game featured in The Witcher 4 and I would even be happy for it to play exactly the same.