A Witcher's Tale: How a Witcher 3 Quest Forged The Witcher 4's Team
The development journey of The Witcher 4 began unexpectedly, not with grand pronouncements, but with a seemingly minor addition to its predecessor. A special quest in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow," served as a crucial onboarding experience for new members of the Witcher 4 development team. This revelation comes from Philipp Webber, the quest designer for Witcher 3 and now narrative director for Witcher 4.
This cleverly designed side quest, released in late 2022, achieved multiple objectives. It promoted Witcher 3's next-gen update and provided in-game justification for the armor worn by Henry Cavill in the Netflix series. More importantly, for Webber, it served as an effective initiation for new team members, allowing them to immerse themselves in the Witcher universe before tackling the ambitious Witcher 4 project.
Ciri's Rise to the Forefront
The narrative of The Witcher 4 will center on Ciri, marking the start of a new trilogy featuring the powerful sorceress. This shift in focus, revealed in a December 2024 Game Awards trailer, follows Ciri's prominent, albeit supporting, role in The Witcher 3.
Webber's statement highlights the strategic timing of "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow." The quest's release, roughly nine months before the March 2022 announcement of The Witcher 4, suggests it played a significant role in integrating new talent into the project. While pre-announcement planning undoubtedly existed, the quest offers a tangible glimpse into the team's early development process.
Team Dynamics and Speculation
While Webber refrained from naming specific individuals, it's plausible that some team members transitioned from CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 team, given its 2020 release. This connection fuels speculation about potential similarities between The Witcher 4's mechanics and Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty expansion, particularly regarding the skill tree. The timing of the new team members' integration lends some weight to this theory.
In essence, the seemingly small "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" quest stands as a testament to the meticulous planning and team-building strategies employed in creating the highly anticipated The Witcher 4.
