Geralt Actor Dismisses 'Woke' Claims About Ciri in The Witcher 4

Doug Cockle, the iconic voice behind Geralt in The Witcher series, has passionately defended the decision to feature Ciri as the protagonist in the upcoming The Witcher 4. Addressing the backlash from a vocal minority labeling the game as "woke," Cockle dismissed these criticisms outright, emphasizing Ciri's integral role in the franchise.

"It's not woke," Cockle asserted in a video by Fall Damage. "There's nothing woke about it. [Ciri]'s a cool character from The Witcher, and they're gonna focus on that character, and that's awesome."

Despite returning as Geralt in The Witcher 4, Cockle understands and supports the shift in focus to Ciri. He argued that continuing Geralt's story indefinitely would not do justice to the rich narrative potential of the Witcher universe. "We can't just have Geralt for every single game for The Witcher ad nauseam, out through eternity," he said, referencing the closure of Geralt's journey in Blood and Wine.

Cockle's enthusiasm for Ciri's new role was clear: "I celebrate Ciri. I celebrate her being the protagonist. So all you people who think it's woke... [blows raspberry]."

He further suggested that those critical of the decision should delve into the original novels by Andrzej Sapkowski to understand CD Projekt's direction. "If you read the books, then you understand why CD Projekt went down this avenue," Cockle explained. He highlighted the unexplored aspects of Ciri's story hinted at in The Witcher 3 and encouraged critics to read the novels, praising their quality and relevance to the game's narrative choices.

CD Projekt's games are set after the events of Sapkowski's novels, yet the author's definitive endings for his characters have always been separate from the video games' continuation of Geralt's story. Sapkowski's focus on Ciri aligns with CD Projekt's new direction, suggesting a seamless transition in the narrative.

For a deeper understanding of how The Witcher 4 fits into the established timeline, IGN has previously discussed the game's development with CD Projekt's franchise and lore designers, Cian Maher and Marcin Batylda.

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