The air crackled with anticipation as I refreshed my browser, counting down to Summer Game Fest 2025. My Twitter feed overflowed with wild theories after Geoff Keighley dropped that bombshell lineup - Nintendo! Square Enix! And holy smoke, CD Projekt Red! My gamer brain immediately short-circuited. Could this finally be the year? After all the rumors swirling since that leaked Ciri image last December...

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My mind raced through the possibilities like a kid in a candy store:

  • 🔥 The Witcher 4 gameplay reveal (please god let it be Ciri-centric)

  • 🤖 Cyberpunk 2 teaser after Orion entered pre-production

  • 🎮 Surprise collab with Nintendo for Switch 2 launch week

For 48 glorious hours, I drowned in delicious speculation. Reddit threads exploded with "insider" leaks about Witcher 4 combat mechanics. Discord servers buzzed with Cyberpunk 2 location theories. We'd endured so many development hell cycles - this felt like redemption time. That CDPR logo on the Summer Fest roster wasn't just participation; it was a promise. Or so I thought.

Then reality crashed the party harder than a ghoul through a tavern window. CDPR joint-CEO Michal Nowakowski's tweet felt like a bucket of icy Novigrad water: ">Seen some creative speculation in the comments... keep calm with expectations." Oof. That corporate-speak translation? "Don't expect Witcher 4 or Cyberpunk 2, fools."

The emotional whiplash left me dizzy. All that pent-up excitement now funneled into... Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition? On Switch 2? Don't get me wrong - Night City's comeback has been phenomenal since the 2.0 overhaul. But Ultimate Edition? That's like serving reheated pizza at a gourmet banquet.

Expectation Reality Emotional Damage
Witcher 4 gameplay Cyberpunk re-release 😭
New IP reveal Switch 2 port 🤡
Franchise roadmap "Keep calm" memo 💀

Nowakowski's clarification hit different in 2025's context. With Switch 2 launching that same week and Mario Kart World dominating headlines, this felt like CDPR grabbing for relevance. Smart business? Absolutely. Soul-crushing for fans who remember their E3 2013 "beep boop" Witcher 3 stunt? You bet.

Still... that Ciri image haunts me. Why leak it if not to build anticipation? Maybe the project's in deeper development hell than we thought. Perhaps they're overhauling REDengine again after Unreal Engine 5.3's new features dropped. Or worst fear - did they scrap the Ciri storyline after fan debates?

My friends keep rationalizing: "Dude, Ultimate Edition could mean new DLC!" or "Switch 2 performance will finally justify that Ray Reconstruction!" But the disappointment lingers like Velen fog. In this stacked year of Elden Ring DLC, Starfield expansions, and GTA 6 hype, CDPR's absence from the next-gen conversation stings.

Maybe I'm being unfair. Cyberpunk's resurrection proved they learn from mistakes. And let's be real - that Ultimate Edition will probably include:

  • 🎭 Phantom Liberty integrated into main campaign

  • 🔧 Next-gen exclusive visual upgrades

  • 🕶️ All cosmetic DLC bundled

Solid value! Just... not what my heart wanted. As Summer Fest approaches, I'll temper expectations like Nowakowski advised. But when those lights dim in LA, part of me will still hope for a flicker of witcher eyes in the darkness. Some fantasies even corporate reality checks can't fully extinguish.