Geralt Goes Pokemon Go in The Witcher: Monster Slayer

When Pokemon Go first released in 2016, a popular topic on social media was to imagine how other popular game franchises might look if they got the “Pokemon Go treatment.” One frequently joked-about hypothetical mobile game was “The Witcher Go,” which would consist entirely of players running away from fiends, griffins, trolls, and other giant dangerous monsters.

Now, nearly five years after that joke was first made, the idea of an augmented reality mobile game based on CD Projekt Red’s popular action RPG franchise has transformed from a mere thought experiment into concrete reality. CD Projekt announced today that their newest studio, Spokko, has been working since 2018 on a soon-to-be-released AR mobile title called The Witcher: Monster Slayer.

The Witcher began as a series of books written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, and now includes multiple award-winning games, spin-off titles including a card game, comic books, and a Netflix series starring Henry Cavill in the title role. It chronicles the story of Geralt of Rivia, an enhanced superhuman “Witcher” who uses potions, signs, and his trademark steel and silver swords to hunt and take down fearsome monsters roaming the Continent. In Monster Slayer, the player will create a Witcher character of their own and use these same items and abilities to locate and take down monsters in the real world.

 

The reveal trailer for the game shows a man and his dog going for a walk in the woods when they are confronted by a massive, terrifying AR leshen, a skull-clad, teleporting forest spirit which was one of the most notorious and brutal monsters to face in 2015’s The Witcher III: Wild Hunt. An announcement by CD Projekt on the game’s official site confirmed that both classic and never-before-seen Witcher monsters would be featured. Teaser screenshots hint that griffins, trolls, arachas (a type of giant spider), and various subspecies of both ghouls and vampires will appear in the game.

Players must use the game’s AR features to track and locate these monsters before taking them down in epic RPG-inspired combat. In addition to wielding a Witcher’s steel and silver blades, gamers must select and brew the right kinds of potions and oils to attack a monster’s weakness. Plus, it would help if you used your Witcher Signs, powerful magical sigils that can protect you, stun your opponents, and even set your surroundings on fire. Once you’ve defeated a monster, you can collect a trophy from its body, which will provide various benefits in future hunts. Plus, since they’re all stored in your phone, there’s no risk of the gross smell of decaying monster parts getting all over your shoes!

In addition to monster hunting, the game is also confirmed to feature story-driven quests inspired by the events of both the books and games. You’ll learn exactly what it means to be one of the world’s most elite monster hunters — as Geralt could tell you, it’s not all about dangerous battles and heroic feats. Sometimes, you’ll have to make difficult moral decisions that can affect everything from your reputation to the amount of gold in your coin purse.

While no official release date has been announced for The Witcher: Monster Slayer, the trailer describes the game as “Coming Soon.” Witcher fans who want to keep up with the latest news regarding the project can sign up for the official newsletter on the game’s website here. You can even pre-select what type of mobile device you’d like to play on and what language you’d like to use!

What type of monster do you most hope to see in Monster Slayer? Let us know!

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