A Witcher 4 Genesis: How a Witcher 3 Side Quest Prepared the Development Team
The development of The Witcher 4, featuring Ciri in a leading role and launching a new trilogy, began surprisingly with a seemingly minor addition to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Two years prior to the game's reveal, a special quest, "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow," served as an onboarding experience for new team members.
Initially released in May 2015, The Witcher 3 already featured Ciri as a playable character in certain segments. However, the December 2024 Game Awards trailer confirmed her starring role in The Witcher 4. The "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" side quest, added in late 2022, served a dual purpose: promoting the game's next-gen update and providing in-game justification for the armor worn by Henry Cavill in the Netflix series.
Philipp Webber, former quest designer for The Witcher 3 and now narrative director for The Witcher 4, revealed on social media that this quest acted as an initiation for new team members. He described it as "the perfect start to getting back into the vibe," aligning neatly with the March 2022 announcement of The Witcher 4. While pre-announcement planning undoubtedly existed, this side quest provides insight into the team's practical approach to integrating new talent.
While Webber didn't name specific individuals, it's plausible that some were transferred from the Cyberpunk 2077 team, given its 2020 release. This timeline also fuels speculation about potential similarities between The Witcher 4's skill tree and that of Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty expansion. The side quest's role in onboarding new developers offers a unique perspective on the early stages of The Witcher 4's development.
