The Witcher 4: A Special Quest's Unexpected Role in its Development
CD Projekt Red's upcoming Witcher 4, starring Ciri in a new trilogy, had an unusual starting point for some of its development team: a seemingly innocuous side quest in The Witcher 3. This revelation comes from Philipp Webber, narrative director for Witcher 4 and former quest designer for Witcher 3.
The Witcher 3, released in 2015, featured Ciri prominently. Now, a new trailer showcased at The Game Awards 2024 confirmed Ciri's leading role in Witcher 4. But the groundwork for the new game began much earlier.
In late 2022, "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" was added to Witcher 3. While promoting the game's next-gen update and providing in-game justification for Henry Cavill's Netflix armor, this side quest served a more crucial purpose. According to Webber, it acted as an initiation for new team members joining the Witcher 4 project.
This "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" side quest, launched approximately nine months after Witcher 4's March 2022 announcement, provided a crucial on-ramp for new developers. Webber described it as "the perfect start to getting back into the vibe," suggesting it helped integrate new talent into the established Witcher atmosphere before full-scale Witcher 4 development commenced.
While Webber didn't name names, it's speculated that some of these new team members transitioned from CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 team (released in 2020). This timing fuels speculation about potential similarities between Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty expansion, particularly concerning the skill tree. The side quest's role, therefore, extends beyond mere onboarding; it may have subtly influenced Witcher 4's design direction.
