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Controversy · comment analysis

Why are Ciri's and Lara Croft's new faces causing controversy?

What YouTube comments really reveal about the facial redesigns in Witcher 4 and Tomb Raider: Catalyst, backed by numbers.

Updated: 01/08/2026
Ciri's redesigned face in Witcher 4 and Lara Croft's new look in Tomb Raider: Catalyst are controversial because many fans see a loss of continuity with earlier versions, while others defend it as natural technical and narrative evolution. The topic accounts for about 12% of Witcher 4 discussions and up to 20% for Tomb Raider: Catalyst.

The context

On December 12, 2024, CD Projekt Red unveiled The Witcher 4 at The Game Awards with a cinematic trailer confirming Ciri as the game's protagonist. Her new facial model, visibly different from her look in The Witcher 3 (2015), immediately drew reactions online.

In June 2025, following a new trailer and a technical demo, CD Projekt Red stated that "Ciri's face is a direct copy of The Witcher 3 model," adapted for MetaHuman technology, with only two minor animation-related tweaks.

On December 11, 2025, at The Game Awards, Crystal Dynamics and Amazon Games Studios announced Tomb Raider: Catalyst, developed under the partnership the two companies formed in 2022. The game introduces a redesigned Lara Croft, voiced by actress Alix Wilton Regan.

This reworked Lara Croft, described as connected to the Survivor trilogy version (2013-2018), marks the character's first new face since Shadow of the Tomb Raider, released in 2018.

Sources: CDPR: Ciri's face in Witcher 4 trailer unchanged from Witcher 3 · CDPR Reforms Ciri For The Witcher 4 (reveal trailer, Game Awards 2024) · Embracer/Crystal Dynamics official press release - Tomb Raider: Catalyst announcement · Kotaku - First look at Tomb Raider's new Lara Croft

Factual background compiled from public sources — the debate analysis below relies exclusively on the comments.

How we got here

as told by the comments
Late Oct 2025

The Witcher 4 tech demo shows an early version of Ciri's face that looks different from prior trailers, sparking the first doubts about the character's continuity.

Late Nov 2025

CDPR explains that the 'prettier' Ciri face was an earlier work-in-progress and the final look differs; commenters split between logical evolution and suspicious backpedaling.

Mid-Dec 2025

Amazon and Crystal Dynamics unveil Tomb Raider Catalyst: Lara Croft's new face, compared to her look in Legacy of Atlantis, instantly becomes the focus and shifts the debate to this second title.

Dec 20, 2025

The comment spike on Catalyst criticizes a face called 'too smooth' or 'doll-like,' with comparisons to well-known actresses and accusations that the character has lost her identity.

Jan 2026

Comparisons to Millie Bobby Brown multiply around Catalyst, while other commenters point out that Lara is meant to be older in this installment to justify the new look.

Apr 2026

The debate persists with each new image: some fans keep rejecting the face ('I don't like the face'), while others argue the issue remains secondary to gameplay.

The Witcher 4

~12% of the discussion on this game

Ciri's face visibly evolved between the tech demo and later trailers, which CDPR attributes to work-in-progress iteration. Some fans see it instead as a retreat under criticism rather than simple artistic evolution.

Loss of continuity 55 %

Some point out that CDPR first called the prettier version provisional and the criticized one final, then backpedaled without much credibility.
« They said the good-looking Ciri was an early work-in-progress and the less pretty one was final. Now they claim they've gone through rehab and cleaned up their act? »
— @Black_Sheep__ · ♥ 54 · translated · see original ↗
Commenters detail specific tweaks (eyebrows, mouth, bone structure) as proof of a real, non-trivial facial change.
« Her eyebrows were darkened, her mouth made slightly smaller, her lips reduced. The facial bone structure was clearly reworked toward a more feminine look. She's definitely had some work done since the last trailer. »
— @01247Brandon · ♥ 0 · translated · see original ↗
Others find the studio's explanation unconvincing, comparing it to other games where a facial change was denied before being confirmed.
« Claiming they didn't change Ciri's face was about as believable as Insomniac saying they didn't change MJ's face between Spider-Man 1 and 2. »
— @AnthonyV102 · ♥ 228 · translated · see original ↗

Modernization 45 %

Some commenters explain the perceived differences through technical factors (lenses, lighting) and consider the outrage poorly informed.
« Every hater who knows nothing about lenses and optics is complaining that Ciri's model looks different between W3 and W4 — they should watch the breakdown before judging. »
— @Grzybek007 · ♥ 43 · translated · see original ↗
Others note that a tech demo doesn't represent the final render, and judging the definitive face at this stage is premature.
« To clarify — this is a tech demo set in the Witcher 4 world, not exactly what the final game will look like. But it's probably the direction they're going for. »
— @woranbg9276 · ♥ 164 · translated · see original ↗
Some compare the situation to other games where a character's face changed between trailers and release, framing it as normal evolution.
« This isn't new — Elizabeth in Bioshock Infinite looked more realistic in early trailers before becoming Disney-princess-like at launch. It's just evolution, Ciri will look different again by 2027. »
— @Saddleman25 · ♥ 0 · translated · see original ↗

Tomb Raider: Catalyst

~20% of the discussion on this game

Lara Croft's face revealed for Catalyst is unfavorably compared to her look in Legacy of Atlantis and to well-known actresses, seen as too smooth or artificial. Other commenters justify the change by the character's aging in this installment.

Loss of continuity 65 %

Many commenters simply ask what happened to Lara's face, a sign of an immediate and widespread rejection of the new design.
« What happened to her face? »
— @gustonator · ♥ 3 · translated · see original ↗
The new face is compared to actresses like Millie Bobby Brown, which for some signals a loss of the character's own identity.
« Why does she look like Millie Bobby Brown? I don't see Lara, I see Eleven. »
— @tomasallende9623 · ♥ 1 · translated · see original ↗
Others feel Lara no longer looks like a real person, unlike other characters in the same trailer, which reinforces the sense of a visual misstep.
« Lara is great in every version, but in this trailer she doesn't look like a real person. It'll be strange because the other characters look realistic while she looks like a PS2 doll with PS5 textures. »
— @msburr · ♥ 4 · translated · see original ↗

Modernization 35 %

Several commenters note the game is set years after Underworld and that Lara is confirmed to be older, which would explain her changed features.
« First, the game takes place years after Underworld. And it's confirmed Lara is older. That's why she looks this way. »
— @ZavierC-1997 · ♥ 13 · translated · see original ↗
Others say they need time to adjust after loving the Survivor trilogy look, without fully rejecting the new face.
« I loved the Survivor trilogy Lara's look. It'll take some getting used to this new face. »
— @Kaustubh-Bhagat · ♥ 5 · translated · see original ↗
A more measured group thinks an older Lara can work as long as the design stays polished, rather than outright rejecting it.
« An older Lara Croft could work, as long as she's still attractive. »
— @justingochioco1121 · ♥ 3 · translated · see original ↗
Where the debate standsThe redesigned-face controversy follows the same pattern for Witcher 4 and Tomb Raider Catalyst: one camp denounces a loss of continuity or a retreat under criticism, the other defends logical technical or narrative evolution. The debate is markedly more intense around Tomb Raider Catalyst (~20% of discussions) than Witcher 4 (~12%), and remains active months after the initial reveals.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Ciri's face controversial in Witcher 4?
Because her appearance visibly changed between the tech demo and later trailers — eyebrows, mouth and facial structure were altered. CDPR says the first version was a work in progress, but some fans see it as a response to backlash rather than simple evolution.
Why does Lara Croft's new face in Tomb Raider Catalyst divide fans?
The design revealed in December 2025 is seen by some commenters as too smooth or doll-like, and compared to actresses like Millie Bobby Brown. Others note that Lara is depicted as older in Catalyst, which they say explains the change in her features.
Which games are affected by this face-redesign controversy?
Two titles are affected according to tracked comments: The Witcher 4, over Ciri's face (~12% of the discussion), and Tomb Raider Catalyst, over Lara Croft's face (~20% of the discussion), with the latter being the more heated of the two.
Do fans eventually accept these new faces?
The debate remains split: some commenters say they need 'time to get used to it' and accept the aging or technical-evolution explanation, while others keep repeating months later that they simply 'don't like the face.'
Analysis built from 360 public YouTube comments on the tracked videos — updated on 01/08/2026. Our methodology