Witcher community rallies around Geralt actor after cancer diagnosis

The Witcher community is rallying around video game actor Doug Cockle after he revealed he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. 

In a tweet yesterday, Cockle - who plays Geralt of Rivia in all three The Witcher games as well as a number of cameo appearances - said he'd taken a "random check" for the disease, having had "no idea" of his illness before his diagnosis. Cockle said that treatment was "ongoing but looking good so far," and encouraged men over 50 to get tested.

The game's community has offered its support for Cockle on social media, with comments on Reddit and Twitter - including one from the official Witcher account - hoping for his swift recovery. Other comments have praised the actor's transparency, reiterating his call to get tested and spread awareness.

While Cockle's acting career has continued in a post-Witcher 3 world, his future within the series itself remains uncertain. There's a whole suite of upcoming CD Projekt Red games, including a new Witcher trilogy, but the devs have repeatedly suggested that Geralt's time as the face of the mainline game series might be over. Multiple spin-off games, including the troubled Project Sirirus and a The Witcher remake, are known to be in development, meaning there are still Geralt-shaped roles out there, but hints suggest that a new witcher from a new school might be taking up the mantle in future.

Doug Cockle shared his diagnosis in response to a message from Prostate Cancer UK - you can donate and find out more here.