The Witcher author Andrzej Sapkowski has finished the next book in the series, the first since 2013.
Sapkowski revealed the progress update to Chimères and said it took around two years to write. Little is known about the incoming entry, even its name, though it will arrive worldwide in early 2025 following a debut in Poland in late 2024.
The new book will perhaps be connected to the short story A Little Sacrifice, which tells the story of Geralt of Rivia as he travels The Continent with Dandelion following his first break-up with Yennefer of Vengerburg, and, with the help of rival bard Essi Daven, mediate a lover's quarrel between a prince and a mermaid.
Netflix is adapting this into animated film Sirens of the Deep, and Sapkowski suggested in November 2023 that his new book was connected to that.
Essi has long been a fan favourite character so an extension of her story would likely be welcome to fans of The Witcher. It also matches expectations the next book will tell a side story that doesn't directly affect the main Witcher saga, that's told throughout five books and is adapted as of Season 2 of the Netflix show. This was the case with the previous Witcher book, Season of Storms, which released in 2013 and told a self-contained story.
Not only does Geralt's story come to a fairly definitive end in the main saga, but a (technically unofficial) progression has already taken place through the CD Projekt game series, which takes place in the few years following the books.
While these are the only truly canonical entries in The Witcher franchise, the universe has now evolved far beyond the original book series. The game trilogy (and several incoming sequels and spin-offs) are joined by the Netflix show, a comic book series, a tabletop RPG, manga, and even a cookbook.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
