The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to come out in 2014

CDProjekt RED yesterday announced that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt would be released in 2014 simultaneously on all high-end platforms, which could mean that it will also see a release on next-gen consoles. The game will be using the same art direction from The Witcher 2, and will be improving the visuals with the REDEngine 3. The game is set to combine the series’ epic storyline with an open-world environment, which the company boasts will be a living world larger than any other in modern RPG history.

However, all good news is accompanied by bad news, and it's no different this time. The studio also revealed that this would be the last Witcher game it would be making.

“The captivating and non-linear story of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt takes place in a rich, truly open-world environment. A world which is thrilling to explore, full of daring adventures, momentous quests, memorable characters, and unique monsters. Players will freely travel through woods, lakes, mountains, cities and villages. Each region is inhabited by distinct populations with their own customs, legends and problems.  The world of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is 30 times bigger than The Witcher 2," said Adam Badowski, head of the studio.

Badowski added, “Imagine playing a dark fantasy game with the same great non-linear story as in the previous Witcher titles, but now told in a world you can explore freely with no artificial boundaries. The war-ravaged world is so huge that to reach farther places you will need to ride a horse or sail a boat to get there. A world where your choices have truly epic consequences. From the development side, this goal is extremely demanding. Our team had to make significant design changes and our tech had to be rebuilt. But we believe that this will lead to a completely new level of non-linearity and a whole new, richer gaming experience. As a gamer, I would love to play this kind of RPG, and I think this is what many players are waiting for. This is our dream come true at CD Projekt RED, and we hope it will be the same for you!”

The last game in the series will have an open world

The company says that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be the most robust game it has made. The open world will have different environments, such as war-ravaged lands and misty waters. The combat system will also be getting an overhaul, and the company claims that players will feel like real monster hunters. The game will also lack Quick Time Events, which were present in The Witcher 2 for some minigames like street fighting.

Speaking of the decision to stop making more Witcher games after this installment, Badowski said, "People may ask if this is really going to be the last Witcher game. Yes, it is. Why? Because we believe that we should end the series on a high note. Technology has progressed to where we can finally tell the story the way we want, with the visuals we want, in the world we imagined. This will be the ultimate fantasy RPG experience, and while we're hardly out of stories to tell, we believe it's time for us to look to new worlds and new horizons to keep pushing the boundaries of what we can create. For all of those who have never experienced the adventures of Geralt before, this will be their last chance. The game will be accessible all players-those who are fans of the series and those who just love RPGs-thanks to availability on all major high-end platforms and an introduction designed to smoothly introduce all those who visit the world of the Witcher for the first time."

In celebration of the announcement, CDProjekt RED is making the previous games in the series available at a discount. Both games—The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Director’s Cut and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition—will be available at a 50 percent discount on both Steam and Gog.com. The company has also reduced the price of the Xbox 360 version of The Witcher 2 to $29.99, which roughly translates to Rs 1,600.