Witcher 4 Dev Reveals Team's Prep for Awaited Sequel

Summary

• The Witcher 4's development team prepared for the project by working on a special quest in The Witcher 3, serving as an initiation for new team members.
• Ciri will be taking the lead role in The Witcher 4, starting a new trilogy for the character.

The narrative director for The Witcher 4 has shed light on how the development team geared up for the much-anticipated solo adventure of Ciri. Fans are still buzzing from the initial glimpse of the game, but the team actually began re-immersing themselves in the Witcher universe two years ago through a special quest added to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Originally launched in May 2015, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt follows Geralt as he endeavors to protect his adopted daughter, Ciri, from the spectral warriors of The Wild Hunt. Although Ciri was playable in certain sections of the game, a trailer unveiled at The Game Awards 2024 in December confirmed her starring role in The Witcher 4.

In late 2022, the "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" sidequest was introduced to The Witcher 3. This quest, where Geralt retrieves long-lost equipment, not only promoted the game's next-gen update but also provided a canon explanation for acquiring the armor worn by Henry Cavill in the Netflix series, The Witcher. In a recent social media post, Philipp Webber, who transitioned from quest designer on The Witcher 3 to narrative director for The Witcher 4, revealed that this sidequest served as an initiation for new team members joining the series, preparing them for their work on The Witcher 4.

Late Witcher 3 Quest Was a Starting Point for The Witcher 4's Development

Webber emphasized in his post that working on "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" was "the perfect start to getting back into the vibe." This aligns well with the timeline for The Witcher 4's development, which was announced in March 2022, roughly nine months before the sidequest's release. Although planning likely began earlier, this gives insight into how the team members transitioned into the project.

While Webber did not disclose the names of those initiated through the sidequest, it's speculated that some may have come from the Cyberpunk 2077 team, following its release in 2020. There's also talk that The Witcher 4 might feature a skill tree similar to that in Phantom Liberty, supported by the timeline of the new team members' involvement.