The director of *The Witcher 4* has provided clarity on a recent video that sparked discussions about Ciri's appearance. CD Projekt released a behind-the-scenes video of the game's cinematic reveal trailer, featuring two brief clips at 2:11 and 5:47 that offer close-up views of Ciri. Fans quickly noticed that Ciri's face appeared slightly different in these clips compared to the main trailer, leading to comments and speculation about her design.

Some fans even suggested that CD Projekt might have altered Ciri's look in response to online feedback, which had criticized her appearance in the initial reveal. However, game director Sebastian Kalemba took to social media to address these concerns directly. He explained that the behind-the-scenes video showcased the same in-game model of Ciri used in the original trailer, without any modifications.

"The behind-the-scenes video features the same in-game model of Ciri as seen in the original trailer," Kalemba stated. "We have not modified it. What you’re seeing is raw footage — without facial animation, lighting, or virtual camera lenses. While it’s still in-engine, it represents a work-in-progress snapshot taken before we applied cinematic touches for the purpose of that video."

Kalemba emphasized that such variations are a normal part of game development, where a character's appearance can differ across various mediums such as trailers, 3D models, or in-game visuals. A commenter on the Witcher subreddit humorously remarked, "Redditor discovers the effect that lighting can have on an in-game face model, is confused."

*The Witcher 4* marks the beginning of a new trilogy set after the events of *The Witcher 3*, with Ciri taking the lead role instead of Geralt. In an exclusive interview with IGN before the reveal, executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga explained why Ciri was the natural choice for the protagonist. "It was always about her, starting from Saga when you read it in the books. She's an amazing, layered character. And of course, as a protagonist we said goodbye to Geralt previously. So this is a continuation. I guess for all of us it’s like she was meant to be. That was always her."

Kalemba added that Ciri's youth offers players more freedom to shape her character compared to Geralt, providing the developers with ample opportunity to delve deeper into her story. Despite potential backlash from some fans about Ciri's central role, both Mitręga and Kalemba affirmed that Ciri was always intended to be the main character. Kalemba noted, "It was far from roulette. It wasn't random. I remember we had discussions nine years ago, we were talking about who's next? The very, very instant answer was Ciri."

In January, during an interview with IGN about Netflix's upcoming animated film *The Witcher: Sirens of The Deep*, Geralt's voice actor Doug Cockle expressed his enthusiasm for the decision to focus on Ciri. "I'm really excited," he said. "I think it's a really good move. I mean, I always thought that continuing the Saga, but shifting to Ciri would be a really, really interesting move for all kinds of reasons, but mostly because of things that happen in the books, which I don't want to give away because people, I want people to go read."

For more insights into *The Witcher 4*, check out our exclusive content, including a trailer breakdown and an interview with CD Projekt discussing how they plan to avoid a *Cyberpunk 2077*-style launch disaster.