Doug Cockle, the voice behind Geralt, has strongly dismissed claims that The Witcher 4’s focus on Ciri is “woke,” urging detractors to dive into the original novels.

“It’s absurd,” Cockle remarked about the criticism of CD Projekt’s upcoming role-playing game, which marks Ciri’s debut as the lead character.

“There’s nothing woke about it,” Cockle stated in a video by Fall Damage. “Ciri is a compelling character from The Witcher, and highlighting her is a fantastic choice.”

Cockle has lent his voice to Geralt across CD Projekt’s The Witcher series and will reprise the role in The Witcher 4, though not as the central figure.

Despite Geralt’s continued presence, last year’s announcement that Ciri, his adoptive daughter, would take the spotlight in the next game—and likely the entire upcoming trilogy—sparked a small but vocal backlash online, with some labeling the shift “woke.”

“We can’t keep revisiting Geralt endlessly in every Witcher game,” Cockle explained, justifying the shift in focus. “Blood and Wine concluded his arc.”

“I’m thrilled about Ciri leading the story,” he added. “To those calling it woke… [blows raspberry].”

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Cockle suggested that Ciri’s prominence in The Witcher 4 aligns with the narrative groundwork laid by Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels.

“Reading the books reveals why CD Projekt chose this path,” Cockle noted. “Ciri’s world offers a wealth of untapped stories, only hinted at in The Witcher 3 because that game centered on Geralt.”

“If you think it’s woke, read the books—they’re excellent,” he urged. “You’ll see it’s not about that.”

CD Projekt’s games take place after the events of Sapkowski’s novels, though the author has distanced his definitive story endings from the video game adaptations that extend Geralt’s journey.

Without revealing plot points from the final novel that may influence The Witcher 4, it’s clear that Sapkowski, like CD Projekt, viewed Ciri as a key figure ready to carry the narrative when Geralt steps back.

IGN previously explored Geralt’s return in The Witcher 4 with CD Projekt’s Cian Maher and Marcin Batylda, who clarified how the established timeline supports this transition.