The Witcher 4 Dev Explains How the Team Prepared to Work on the Long-Awaited Title

The Witcher 4's Genesis: A Side Quest's Unexpected Role

CD Projekt Red's preparation for The Witcher 4 involved an unconventional approach: a special quest within The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. This unique initiative served as an onboarding experience for new team members, seamlessly integrating them into the Witcher universe before embarking on the ambitious Ciri-centric sequel.

The announcement of The Witcher 4 in March 2022, focusing on Ciri as the protagonist and launching a new trilogy, followed a strategic move. Nine months prior to the release of The Witcher 3's "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" side quest, the groundwork for the new game was already underway.

This side quest, released in late 2022, served multiple purposes. It promoted the next-gen update for The Witcher 3, provided in-game justification for Henry Cavill's Netflix armor, and, crucially, acted as a training ground for new developers joining the Witcher 4 team.

Philipp Webber, the quest designer for The Witcher 3 and narrative director for The Witcher 4, confirmed this on social media. He highlighted the quest as "the perfect start to getting back into the vibe," providing a smooth transition for new team members into the Witcher development cycle.

While Webber didn't specify which team members participated, speculation points towards personnel transfers from the Cyberpunk 2077 team, released in 2020. This timeline, coupled with rumors of a Phantom Liberty-style skill tree in The Witcher 4, adds an intriguing layer to the game's development story. The side quest, therefore, wasn't just a minor addition to The Witcher 3; it played a significant role in shaping the foundation of its highly anticipated successor.