Geralt Actor Criticizes 'Woke' Label for Ciri-Led Witcher 4

Doug Cockle, the iconic voice behind Geralt of Rivia, has responded firmly to backlash surrounding The Witcher 4 shifting focus to Ciri as its protagonist—urging critics to "read the damn books."

Speaking in a video interview published by Fall Damage, Cockle dismissed the outcry as baseless and short-sighted. "That's just stupid," he said of the claims that the upcoming game is embracing a 'woke' agenda by centering on Geralt’s adoptive daughter.

"It's not woke," Cockle emphasized. "There's nothing politically motivated about it. Ciri is a compelling, well-established character in The Witcher universe, and spotlighting her is not only natural—it's exciting."

Having portrayed Geralt across CD Projekt Red’s acclaimed game series, Cockle will reprise his role in The Witcher 4, though not as the central figure. The announcement that Ciri will take the lead—marking the beginning of a new narrative trilogy—sparked vocal resistance from a vocal minority online, despite her deep roots in the original book series by Andrzej Sapkowski.

Cockle pushed back on the notion that Geralt must remain the perpetual protagonist. "We can't have Geralt in every single game, forever and ever," he noted. "His story reached a meaningful conclusion—Blood and Wine was meant to be the end of his journey."

He added, "I celebrate Ciri. I celebrate her becoming the main character. So to all those who call it 'woke'—[blows raspberry]. Grow up."

The actor highlighted that Ciri’s rise to prominence is not a modern invention, but a continuation of narrative threads deeply embedded in Sapkowski’s novels. "If you actually read the books, you’d understand why CD Projekt chose this path," Cockle said. "There’s a wealth of untapped potential in Ciri’s story—things only hinted at in The Witcher 3 because the focus was on Geralt."

He continued, "So if you think this is some kind of forced diversity move, read the damn books. They’re excellent. And once you do, you won’t see it as 'woke'—you’ll see it as storytelling."

While CD Projekt’s games exist in a timeline loosely inspired by Sapkowski’s original saga, the author has maintained that his novels conclude definitively, separate from the ongoing game series. Still, even in the books, Ciri emerges as a pivotal figure—destined to carry the torch when Geralt steps back.

As revealed previously by CD Projekt’s lore team, including franchise designers Cian Maher and Marcin Batylda, the narrative framework of The Witcher 4 aligns cohesively with established canon, ensuring continuity while opening new chapters.

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