Not so, according to CD Projekt. Taking to social media, The Witcher 4 game director Sebastian Kalemba said the developer had not modified Ciri’s in-game model, and clarified that these new looks were a “snapshot” taken before the developers applied the cinematic touches we see in the reveal video.
“The behind-the-scenes video features the same in-game model of Ciri as seen in the original trailer,” Kalemba said.
“We have not modified it. What you’re seeing is raw footage — without facial animation, lighting, or virtual camera lenses. While it’s still in-engine, it represents a work-in-progress snapshot taken before we applied cinematic touches for the purpose of that video.
“This variation is a natural part of the game development process. At this point, any character's appearance may vary depending on the medium — whether it’s in a trailer, a 3D model, or in-game.”
Or,
as commenter Fehndrix put it on the Witcher subreddit: “Redditor discovers the effect that lighting can have on an in-game face model, is confused.”
