Doug Cockle, the iconic voice behind Geralt of Rivia in CD Projekt's *The Witcher* series, has firmly responded to the backlash surrounding the decision to feature Ciri as the protagonist in *The Witcher 4*. In a candid statement made during a video interview with Fall Damage, Cockle dismissed the criticism as "stupid" and emphasized that the choice to spotlight Ciri is far from being "woke."

"There's nothing woke about it," Cockle asserted. "Ciri is a cool character from *The Witcher*, and they're going to focus on that character, and that's awesome." Despite Geralt's continued presence in the upcoming game, the announcement that Ciri would take the lead role has sparked controversy among a vocal minority online. Cockle, however, sees this as a natural progression for the series.

"We can't just have Geralt for every single game for *The Witcher* ad nauseam, out through eternity," he explained. "We've seen the end of Geralt's journey. *Blood and Wine* was supposed to wrap up that journey." Cockle expressed his enthusiasm for Ciri's new role, stating, "I celebrate Ciri. I celebrate her being the protagonist. So all you people who think it's woke... [blows raspberry]."

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Cockle further highlighted the narrative potential of Ciri's character, drawing a direct connection to the original novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. "If you read the books, then you understand why CD Projekt went down this avenue," he noted. "There's a whole rich world of stuff to explore with Ciri, that they didn't do when they put her into *Witcher 3*, because the story was about Geralt. But she hints at it."

Encouraging fans to delve into the source material, Cockle added, "If you think it's woke, read the damn books—they're good, first of all. And secondly, you won't think it's so woke anymore." This perspective aligns with Sapkowski's own views, as the author has distanced his work from the video game adaptations, emphasizing the significant role Ciri plays in his narrative universe.

While avoiding specific spoilers from Sapkowski's final novel, it's clear that both the author and CD Projekt recognize Ciri's importance as a character capable of carrying the story forward when Geralt's journey concludes. IGN has previously explored the timeline and lore adjustments with CD Projekt's franchise and lore designers, confirming that the narrative developments make sense within the established universe of *The Witcher*.