If you had told me a year ago that The Witcher 3 may be getting a new DLC expansion more than a decade after its release, I wouldn’t have believed you. But here we are, and the possibility is looking increasingly likely. The Witcher 3‘s rumored DLC is expected to cover some of the interim events between the 2015 RPG and its long-awaited sequel, The Witcher 4, which stars Ciri instead of longtime series protagonist Geralt.

With the expansion yet to be officially announced, its narrative focus remains entirely mysterious, and a lingering question remains who its protagonist will be. Does Geralt return? It’s a Witcher 3 DLC, after all. Or does Ciri take over? It would arguably be a smoother transition to The Witcher 4‘s new lead. It’s a discussion that has been ongoing since rumors of the expansion started cropping up; this Reddit thread shows wishes and arguments for and against both characters in the starring role.

The Witcher 3’s Rumored DLC Will Probably Star Geralt

It seems more likely that a new DLC for The Witcher 3 would continue the game’s primary focus on Geralt. TW3 is designed around Geralt, and even if it ends up being a large expansion, it’s hard to imagine CD Projekt Red adding whole new systems and animations for Ciri to be the playable character. Players already have time invested in Geralt – his equipment and skill trees.

Rumors have it pegged as an expansion, instead of a standalone interlude, so with most of CDPR working on The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2, pivoting to a new protagonist may be too big a task. With the implication that this DLC will help lead into TW4, it’s easy to get one’s hopes up, but the reality of developing new content for a game that’s approaching its 11th birthday doesn’t mesh with a change in main character.

Some Fans Are Hoping Ciri Will Feature, Of Course

The hopes to play as Ciri are more than understandable, though. Even though she’s absent for large swathes of The Witcher 3, it’s arguably as much her game as it is Geralt’s. Ciri’s existing move set in TW3 is very limited; it doesn’t have nearly the depth of Geralt’s. The idea of this new DLC being a taste of what’s to come in The Witcher 4 is very enticing, however. Geralt had his sendoff in Blood and Wine, The Witcher 3‘s last expansion, and getting to play as Ciri with expanded capabilities would be a huge selling point for this new DLC.

Regardless of who we control in the rumored DLC, it seems almost assured that Ciri will be a central focus. CDPR seems to be canonizing the Witcher 3 ending where Ciri takes after her adoptive father, becoming a Witcher after forsaking the throne of Nilfgaard. If we are indeed in for a story that bridges the gap to The Witcher 4, then we’ll conceivably see Ciri’s earliest days as a Witcher, possibly as a companion to Geralt on certain hunts. We won’t know for sure until CDPR unveils its new DLC for The Witcher 3, but if rumors are accurate, we won’t have long to wait.

Systems

Released

May 19, 2015

ESRB

M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content

Engine

REDengine 3

Cross-Platform Play

yes

Cross Save

yes

Expansions

The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone, The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine

Franchise

The Witcher