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: Wild Hunt. This isn't just a fun fact; it reveals a crucial element of the game's pre-production.

Two years prior to the December 2024 The Witcher 4 trailer reveal at The Game Awards, CD Projekt Red introduced the "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" side quest to Witcher 3. While ostensibly promoting the game's next-gen update and providing in-game justification for Henry Cavill's Netflix armor, it served a much more significant purpose.

Philipp Webber, Witcher 3's quest designer and now narrative director for Witcher 4, revealed on social media that this quest acted as an onboarding experience for new team members. It provided a crucial immersion into the Witcher universe and established the foundational tone before they embarked on the ambitious Witcher 4 project. Webber described it as "the perfect start to getting back into the vibe."

This neatly aligns with the March 2022 announcement of The Witcher 4. While pre-production planning undoubtedly preceded this announcement, the side quest's timing—released approximately nine months after the announcement—highlights a deliberate strategy to integrate new talent.

While Webber didn't name specific individuals, it's speculated that some team members transitioned from the Cyberpunk 2077 team (released in 2020). This, combined with speculation about a Phantom Liberty-style skill tree in The Witcher 4, adds another layer of intrigue to the development process. The side quest's role in onboarding new developers offers a fascinating glimpse into the behind-the-scenes preparation for this highly anticipated sequel.