At least there should still be some loot in the box.
CD Projekt RED still wants The Witcher 4 to have a proper physical release, even if changing PlayStation policies mean there may not actually be a game disc inside the box.
Joint-CEO Michał Nowakowski told The Game Business that the studio remains committed to giving players something tangible to collect with its next RPG. Whether it can include a physical PS5 disc, however, is outside CD Projekt RED's control.
The Witcher 4
Release date: 2028
Platforms: PlayStation 5, other platforms TBD
Developer: CD Projekt RED
Will The Witcher 4 have a physical edition?
CD Projekt RED plans to release a physical edition in a box containing physical extras regardless of what happens to game discs by the time it launches.. “But we’re big fans of people having access to tangible collectible things,” Nowakowski said. “We’re nerds ourselves, and we like that. We always supported that.”
The studio also plans to include what Nowakowski called “feelies” inside the box, although exactly what those extras will be has not been revealed. “We’re going to have a box that’s going to have some feelies in it. Something you’re going to be wanting to open up and enjoy.”
That tracks with CD Projekt RED's previous physical releases. Standard editions of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077 came with extras such as maps, stickers, postcards, and letters from the developers, rather than reserving everything tangible for pricier collector's editions. While the contents are still under wraps, CD Projekt RED clearly isn't ready to abandon that tradition with The Witcher 4.
Why The Witcher 4 may not have a PS5 disc
Sony announced in July that it plans to stop manufacturing physical PlayStation game discs beginning in January 2028, while The Witcher 4 is targeting a 2028 release window.
That puts CD Projekt RED's next RPG right around PlayStation's planned cut-off for disc production. Even if the studio wants to include a PS5 disc, Nowakowski explained that CD Projekt RED has no control over Sony's manufacturing policies. “We don’t know what’s going to be the case,” he said. “We know what PlayStation has announced. And we have no influence on the policies of the first parties. The discs for the first parties, including PlayStation, have to be manufactured in their own factories.”
If Sony follows through with its plans, Nowakowski acknowledged that The Witcher 4 may simply be unable to ship with a PlayStation disc. There is still plenty of Witcher coming before Ciri's new saga begins. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered launches on 29 September 2026 as a free upgrade for existing owners, while Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are now available at no additional cost to anyone who owns the base game.
Geralt will then return for one last adventure before passing the baton to Ciri in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's Songs of the Past expansion, which launches in 2027 and takes the White Wolf to Dandelion's homeland of Letten. Geralt isn't hanging up his swords completely after that either. Ciri will take the lead in The Witcher 4, while Geralt has already been confirmed to appear in a “special role”.
So while the disc may ultimately be out of CD Projekt RED's hands, there is still a fair bit of unfinished Witcher business before that box arrives.
