The Witcher 4 Development Team Strengthened by God of War Combat Designer

CD Projekt RED has made another significant addition to The Witcher 4 development team, recruiting Jacqueline Kate Salsman, a combat designer whose impressive portfolio includes work on the critically acclaimed God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök. According to her LinkedIn profile, Salsman joined the Polish studio in August 2025, marking yet another high-profile hire as the company continues to assemble a world-class team for their highly anticipated next installment in the beloved fantasy franchise.

Salsman’s expertise in combat design is particularly noteworthy given her contributions to Sony Santa Monica’s reimagined God of War series. Both titles received universal acclaim for their visceral, satisfying combat mechanics that seamlessly blended brutal melee encounters with strategic depth. God of War (2018) won numerous Game of the Year awards and sold over 23 million copies, while Ragnarök became one of the fastest-selling PlayStation exclusives in history, moving over 11 million units in its first week alone. Her experience in crafting such responsive and engaging combat systems could prove invaluable for The Witcher 4.

The hiring represents CD Projekt RED’s continued effort to attract top-tier talent from across the gaming industry. In recent years, the studio has recruited developers from renowned companies including Rockstar Games, Naughty Dog, Ubisoft, and Electronic Arts. This aggressive talent acquisition strategy appears designed to ensure The Witcher 4 meets the extraordinarily high expectations set by The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which has sold over 50 million copies since its 2015 release and is widely considered one of the greatest role-playing games ever made.

Combat design has historically been both a strength and a point of criticism in The Witcher series. While The Witcher 3 was praised for its storytelling, world-building, and quest design, some players and critics noted that its combat system, though enjoyable, didn’t quite reach the heights of its other elements. The addition of a designer with Salsman’s background suggests CD Projekt RED is placing significant emphasis on elevating the combat experience in the upcoming title, potentially delivering a system that matches the series’ exceptional narrative quality.

The Witcher 4, officially announced in October 2022 with the codename “Polaris,” represents a new saga in the franchise. CD Projekt RED has confirmed that players will not be reprising the role of Geralt of Rivia, though details about the new protagonist remain scarce. The game is being developed using Unreal Engine 5, marking a departure from the REDengine technology used in previous Witcher titles and Cyberpunk 2077. This technological shift is expected to enable more detailed environments, improved animations, and potentially more sophisticated combat mechanics.

The studio has been working to rebuild its reputation following the troubled launch of Cyberpunk 2077 in December 2020, which was marred by technical issues particularly on last-generation consoles. However, continued support and the well-received Phantom Liberty expansion have helped restore player confidence. CD Projekt RED has stated that The Witcher 4 is their primary focus, with a large portion of their development resources dedicated to the project. The company currently employs over 500 developers working on the title across their Warsaw and Kraków offices.

While no release date has been announced for The Witcher 4, industry analysts speculate a launch window sometime between 2026 and 2028. With talent like Salsman now on board, expectations continue to grow that CD Projekt RED is positioning itself to deliver a defining next-generation gaming experience that could push the boundaries of open-world RPG combat and storytelling.