A Witcher 4 Genesis: How a Witcher 3 Side Quest Prepared the Development 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: Wild Hunt. Two years prior to the game's reveal, a special side quest, "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow," served as an onboarding experience for new team members joining the Witcher 4 project.
Initially released in May 2015, The Witcher 3 already established Ciri as a significant character, playable in certain segments. However, the December 2024 Game Awards trailer confirmed her starring role in the upcoming sequel. The "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" quest, added in late 2022, provided a dual purpose: promoting the game's next-gen update and offering in-game justification for the armor worn by Henry Cavill in the Netflix series.
Philipp Webber, quest designer for The Witcher 3 and now narrative director for Witcher 4, revealed on social media that this quest acted as a crucial initiation for new team members. He described it as "the perfect start to getting back into the vibe," aligning perfectly with the March 2022 announcement of The Witcher 4. While pre-announcement planning undoubtedly occurred, the quest provides insight into the team's practical preparation.
While Webber didn't name specific individuals, it's plausible that some team members transitioned from the Cyberpunk 2077 team (released in 2020). This timeline also fuels speculation about potential similarities between The Witcher 4's skill tree and Cyberpunk 2077's "Phantom Liberty" expansion. The side quest's role in integrating new talent into the Witcher 4 development cycle offers a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of this highly anticipated game.
