The Witcher 4 Team's Journey Unveiled

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 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," was introduced. This wasn't just a random addition; it served as a crucial onboarding experience for new team members joining the Witcher 4 development.

The Witcher 3, initially released in May 2015, already featured Ciri as a playable character 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" 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, quest designer for Witcher 3 and now narrative director for 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 perfectly with the March 2022 announcement of Witcher 4. While pre-announcement planning undoubtedly existed, Webber's statement clarifies the team's practical approach to integrating new talent.

While Webber didn't name specific individuals, it's plausible that some team members transitioned from the Cyberpunk 2077 team, considering its 2020 release. This timeline also fuels speculation about potential similarities between Witcher 4's skill tree and Cyberpunk 2077's "Phantom Liberty" expansion. The side quest, therefore, served not only as a narrative bridge but also as a practical training ground, seamlessly integrating new developers into the Witcher 4 project.