Witcher 4 Devs Share Development Journey

A Witcher 4 Genesis: How a Witcher 3 Side Quest Prepared the Team

The development of The Witcher 4, featuring Ciri in the lead role and launching a new trilogy, began surprisingly with a seemingly unrelated task: a side quest for The Witcher 3. This strategic move served as a crucial onboarding experience for new team members.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, initially released in May 2015, already featured Ciri prominently. However, the December 2024 Game Awards trailer confirmed her starring role in the upcoming sequel. This transition was subtly foreshadowed two years prior.

In late 2022, CD Projekt Red added the "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" side quest to The Witcher 3. While ostensibly promoting the game's next-gen update and providing in-game justification for Henry Cavill's Netflix armor, Philipp Webber, Witcher 3 quest designer and now Witcher 4's narrative director, revealed its true purpose. This quest acted as an initiation for new team members joining the Witcher 4 development cycle.

Webber described the quest as "the perfect start to getting back into the vibe," aligning perfectly with the March 2022 announcement of The Witcher 4. While pre-announcement planning undoubtedly existed, the side quest provides insight into the team's practical approach to integrating new talent.

While Webber didn't name specific individuals, it's speculated that some team members transitioned from the Cyberpunk 2077 team (released in 2020). This timeline fuels speculation about potential similarities between The Witcher 4's mechanics and Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty expansion, particularly regarding skill trees.