Several months ago, CD Projekt Red brought us exciting news about the sequel to The Witcher saga. The fourth game, which doesn't yet have a name, will be starting fresh, with Geralt of Rivia leaving the role to his adopted and protected daughter. Ciri will then become the main playable character of The Witcher 4. The trailer shared by the studio already shows us what she's made of.
While this cinematic trailer has us particularly excited for the game's release, that's not the case for everyone. In fact, a handful of players were put off by the idea of playing as the young woman. Waves of comments then exploded on the networks criticizing this major aspect of the next game, accusing CD Projekt Red of developing a product that was too “woke.”
What does “woke” mean?
Basically, the term is used to designate any approach voluntarily aiming to highlight so-called minority communities in order to raise awareness about their experience, through representation in works, for example. This concerns women, LGBTQIA+ people, people of color, and people with disabilities. This positive and inclusive initiative, however, was quickly hijacked to criticize what it is supposed to promote. The word "woke" is now only used by critics who say they are inundated with the portrayals of these minorities.
However, developers and people working on the game disagree. Speaking to Fall Damage, Doug Cockle, Geralt's voice actor in the English version of the game, said:
Unexplored Opportunities
Narrative Director Philipp Weber also has his say on the matter. He partly understands the frustration of players who will have to say goodbye (at least temporarily, if not permanently) to Geralt of Rivia. The Witcher 3 put an end to his adventure, especially in the Blood and Wine DLC. He explains, however:
We must admit that, on a very personal level, we loved the gameplay sequences with Ciri as a playable character in The Witcher 3. Her magical skills were particularly interesting to exploit, and we have no doubt that the studio will strengthen the mechanical identity of the young witcher.
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