The Witcher 4: Devs Unveil Pre-Production 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 for a new trilogy, began surprisingly with a seemingly unrelated quest in The Witcher 3. This wasn't just any quest; it served as a crucial onboarding experience for new team members.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, initially released in May 2015, already featured Ciri as a playable character. However, the December 2024 Game Awards trailer confirmed her starring role in the upcoming sequel. Two years prior, in late 2022, CD Projekt Red released the "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" side quest. While ostensibly promoting the game's next-gen update and providing in-game justification for Henry Cavill's Netflix armor, it secretly served a far more important purpose.

Philipp Webber, former Witcher 3 quest designer and current Witcher 4 narrative director, revealed on social media that this quest acted as an initiation for new team members joining the project. He described it as "the perfect start to getting back into the vibe," perfectly aligning with the March 2022 announcement of The Witcher 4. While pre-announcement planning undoubtedly existed, Webber's statement sheds light on the team's practical approach to integrating new talent.

While Webber didn't name the initiated individuals, speculation points to some being transferred from the Cyberpunk 2077 team (released in 2020). This timing, coupled with rumors of a Phantom Liberty-style skill tree in The Witcher 4, adds another layer of intrigue to the narrative. The side quest, therefore, wasn't just a minor addition; it was a strategic move that seamlessly integrated new developers into the Witcher 4 development cycle, shaping the game's very foundation.