Netflix has renewed The Witcher for a third season, the adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s fantasy novels (which is arguably better known for its popular game adaptations).

We’ve rounded up everything we know about season 3, including the cast, plot, trailers and more – plus all the rumours we know about the future of the show. 

The Witcher season 3 release date

Netflix has confirmed that the next season The Witcher will be split into two parts.

Volume 1 (episodes 1 to 5) will drop on 29 June 2023, and Volume 2 (episodes 6 to 8) will release on 27 July 2023.

The Witcher season 3 trailers and posters

The first teaser trailer is here, which at the end shows Ciri running away from what appears to be the Wild Hunt:

How to watch the next series of The Witcher

As this is a Netflix original like Sex Education, it should come as no surprise that it’s exclusive to the streaming service.

If you’ve not yet got a Netflix subscription, you can sign up on the website and take a look at our list of the best streaming services to see how it stacks up to the competition. 

Who’s in the cast for season 3?

The main three cast members will return for season 3, so Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, Freya Allan as Ciri, and Anya Chalotra as Yennefer.

We also expect to see Joey Batey as Jaskier (we’re already anticipating all the new songs), Anna Shaffer as Triss, Royce Pierreson as Istredd and Kim Bodnia as Vesemir.

Some new cast members have also been revealed: Robbie Amell as Gallatin, Meng’Er Zhang as Milva, Hugh Skinner as Prince Radovid and Christelle Elwin as Mistle. 

Gallatin is the army leader of the guerrilla Scoia’tael, who fight for Nilfgaard. He is fiercely loyal to his people, and will end up butting heads with Francesca over who deserves the power.

Milva is a huntress who was adopted by the dryads of Brokilon Forest. She is skilled with a bow, and is said to be formidable foe to anyone who crosses her.

Prince Radovid is the handsome younger brother of King Vizimir. He has insights to many political affairs, but he may be in over his head.

Finally, Mistle is a member of The Rats, a group of thieves. She is suspicious of most, but a chance meeting changes everything for her. 

What will the plot of season 3 be?

The first season drew inspiration mainly from the short stories The Last Wish and The Sword of Destiny, and the second season combined elements from these stories, mixed in with parts of the novel Blood of Elves.

The third season will be taking inspiration from The Time of Contempt, the second main novel in The Witcher saga. This book follows the main trio – Yennefer, Ciri, and Geralt – travelling to Aretuza. However, they are forced to separate when a coup takes place.

Here’s the official synopsis for the third season:

Geralt and Yennefer will have a lot to work through after the latter betrayed Geralt’s trust in the previous season. Whilst she’s already tried to prove her worth by risking her life for Ciri, there may be more work to be done. 

Ciri’s destiny to become a world-destroyer will no doubt be a driving force of season 3, especially since we now know that her father, (who was believed to be deceased), is searching for her. However, now that the main trio is together, we can see them grow as a family and fight off these forces. 

The latest trailer showed Ciri running away from the Wild Hunt, which is the main antagonist of the game, The Witcher 3.

Ciri has some way to go in her training and fighting, so no doubt we’ll see her grow even more as a warrior in the third season. Digital Spy also reported that she may be exploring her sexuality in seasons 3 and 4.

Season 3 will explore more of the Elven war, and will introduce us to the Scoia’tael. In an interview with Polygon, Hissrich says that we’ll begin to understand what they are fighting for. 

Joey Batey also told GamesRadar that Jaskier will get multiple love interests in the third season.

Will there be a season 4 of The Witcher?

Yes, Netflix has confirmed that that there will be a forth season of The Witcher. However, Henry Cavill will be leaving the show ahead of this. Geralt will instead be played by Liam Hemsworth.

Netflix did not specify why Cavill will be leaving the role, but many have speculated that it could be down to creative differences.

Nonetheless, Hissrich told Entertainment Weekly that Henry will be getting a “heroic sendoff” to honour his time on the show.

According to LADbible, showrunner Lauren Hissrich has stated that she’s got a lot more mapped out beyond season 2. The story could in fact last up to seven seasons, which would equate to around twenty years worth of content when you add in the time for filming, production and post-production.

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