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

Summary

• The Witcher 4's development began with a special quest in The Witcher 3, serving as an onboarding experience for new team members.
• Ciri takes center stage in The Witcher 4, launching a new trilogy focused on her adventures.

The narrative director of The Witcher 4 has revealed how the team prepared for Ciri's upcoming solo adventure. While fans are still reeling from the first glimpse of The Witcher 4, the development team quietly began their journey two years prior with a unique quest added to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Released in May 2015, The Witcher 3 saw Geralt protecting his adopted daughter, Ciri, from the Wild Hunt. Although Ciri was playable in parts of the game, a December 2024 Game Awards trailer confirmed her starring role in The Witcher 4.

In late 2022, The Witcher 3 received the "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" side quest. This quest, involving Geralt acquiring lost equipment, served as promotion for the game's next-gen update and provided in-game justification for the armor worn by Henry Cavill in the Netflix series. Philipp Webber, quest designer for The Witcher 3 and narrative director for The Witcher 4, recently revealed on social media that this quest acted as an initiation for new team members joining the project, preparing them for The Witcher 4's development.

Late Witcher 3 Quest: A Foundation for The Witcher 4's Development

Webber described the "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" quest as "the perfect start to getting back into the vibe" for new team members. This aligns with The Witcher 4's development timeline. Announced in March 2022, the game—the beginning of a Ciri-centric trilogy—preceded the side quest's release by nine months. While pre-announcement planning undoubtedly existed, this quest clarifies the onboarding process for key personnel.

Webber didn't name the initiated team members, but some likely transitioned from the Cyberpunk 2077 team, given its 2020 release. Speculation about a Phantom Liberty-style skill tree in The Witcher 4 is further fueled by this new member onboarding timeline.