We're only a few weeks out from season 4 of The Witcher on Netflix, which will serve as the penultimate installment of the series and introduce actor Liam Hemsworth as the new Geralt of Rivia, following the departure of previous actor Henry Cavill after season 3. Beyond that, there's one more season that has already been filmed, which will wrap up the tale and give much needed closure to Geralt, his sorceress lover Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra), and the Elder Blood princess Ciri (Freya Allan).
Previously, there has been a two-year gap between each season of The Witcher on Netflix, often filled with a small standalone spinoff like Nightmare of the Wolf or The Witcher: Blood Origin. But we may not have to wait quite that long to see The Witcher season 5, because it's expected to release next year in 2026.
This news comes via IGN's recent cover story on The Witcher season 4. It featured extensive interviews with showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and Liam Hemsworth, as well as the mention that "Season 5 has an expected eight episodes as well to be released sometime in the future (though it is expected to be in 2026)."
This is not an official confirmation from Netflix, but it's about as close as you can get right now. IGN writer Alex Zalben spoke to Hissrich and Hemsworth right around the time that The Witcher wrapped production on season 5 on September 30. so this information is sound.
“We wrote both seasons back to back, we filmed them both back to back,” Hissrich said. “They're coming out as two separate entities, but they really are one long story."
The Witcher season 5 could release in 2026
Releasing The Witcher season 5 next year makes sense for a few reasons. The first, as Hissrich said, is that this season was filmed back-to-back with season 4, which should give them a cohesive part one and part two feeling. It seems like Netflix is already leaning into that idea. Unlike season 3, which releaed in two parts, all eight episodes of season 4 are dropping in one go on October 30. At first, I was confused by that decision, but if the streamer is planning to follow up with the final season relatively quickly, then it suddenly makes much more sense. It's more or less the same strategy Netflix used with the final two seasons of Squid Game.
Another aspect to consider is the recast of Geralt. The announcement that previous actor Henry Cavill was being replaced by Liam Hemsworth shocked fans, and ever since then The Witcher has been fighting an uphill battle to keep the goodwill and trust of viewers. By releasing seasons 4 and 5 in quick succession, Netflix will be able to introduce Hemsworth's Geralt and then make the most of that momentum by delivering a (hopefully) epic conclusion to the saga.
Time will tell whether the 2026 date will stick and become official, but I think there's a good chance it will. After all, the post-production timeline would be comparable to season 4, which wrapped filming in October 2024 and is releasing in October 2025. Hissrich and her team have proven they can turn around a season of the show in that sort of timeframe, so there's every reason to think they could do it again.
Whenever it premieres, Hemsworth is promising that The Witcher season 5 will be a fitting end for Geralt of Rivia. “There’s a really good payoff to the series,” he said. “And it feels complete.”
The Witcher season 4 premieres October 30 on Netflix. We'll have our ear to the ground for more updates about the series.