Role in The Witcher IV
Geralt of Rivia, the protagonist of the first three Witcher games, is confirmed to appear in The Witcher IV. Voice actor Doug Cockle will reprise the role. However, CD Projekt Red has not revealed the nature or extent of his involvement.
Cockle confirmed in February 2025: "I can confirm that Geralt will appear in The Witcher 4. I just can't say exactly in what way or how much." He added: "I can't wait to see what they do with Witcher 4. I'm excited to go on Ciri's journey with her."
Geralt's voice is briefly heard in the cinematic trailer. In a December 2024 appearance at MCM Comic Con, Cockle admitted that he had previously stated Geralt would be in the game and "got slapped by CD Projekt" for speaking too early: "I went off a rumor, I thought I'd seen somebody from CD Projekt say that Geralt will be in Witcher 4 but he won't be the main character. I don't actually know if that's true now because they came back and they went, 'We haven't put anything out there, don't say anything!'"
Background
Geralt is a witcher of the School of the Wolf, trained at Kaer Morhen in the Blue Mountains of Kaedwen. He is known as the White Wolf due to his distinctive white hair, a side effect of the additional experimental mutations he underwent beyond the standard Trial of the Grasses. These extra mutations made him more resilient than typical witchers but also caused him to lose all pigmentation.
In the novels by Andrzej Sapkowski, Geralt operates as a monster hunter for hire while becoming entangled in political conflicts across the Northern Kingdoms. His defining characteristics are his adherence to a personal moral code despite claiming neutrality, his dry humor, and his deep bonds with Yennefer and Ciri.
Previous games
Geralt was the sole playable protagonist across The Witcher (2007), The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (2011), and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015). His story across the trilogy followed his search for Ciri, his involvement in the political conflicts of the Northern Kingdoms, and his confrontation with the Wild Hunt. The Witcher 3 alone sold over 60 million copies.
CDPR has repeatedly stated that Geralt's story as a protagonist is complete. The Witcher IV positions Ciri as the new lead while acknowledging Geralt's importance to the franchise.
Relationship with Ciri
Geralt is Ciri's adoptive father. He claimed the Law of Surprise over her before she was born, binding their fates by destiny. He trained her in swordfighting at Kaer Morhen alongside witchers Vesemir, Eskel, and Lambert. In the canon ending followed by The Witcher IV, Geralt had the silver sword Zireael forged and gifted it to Ciri, supporting her choice to become a witcher.