The Witcher 4: A Secret Initiation Quest Shaped its Development
CD Projekt Red's upcoming The Witcher 4, starring Ciri, benefited from an unusual preparation method: a special quest added to The Witcher 3. This initiative, revealed by narrative director Philipp Webber, served as a crucial onboarding process for new team members joining the Witcher 4 development.
The story begins with the release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in 2015, which featured Ciri prominently. Fast forward to December 2024's Game Awards, and a new trailer confirmed Ciri's starring role in The Witcher 4, launching a new trilogy. However, the groundwork for The Witcher 4 began much earlier.
In late 2022, the "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" side quest was added to The Witcher 3. While promoting the game's next-gen update and providing in-game justification for Henry Cavill's Netflix armor, it also secretly served as an initiation for new Witcher 4 developers. According to Webber, this quest provided the perfect re-immersion into the Witcher universe, setting the tone for the new project.
This timing aligns perfectly with The Witcher 4's March 2022 announcement, suggesting the quest served as a crucial bridge between the announcement and full-scale development. While pre-announcement planning undoubtedly occurred, the quest offers insight into the team's practical approach to onboarding new talent.
Webber refrained from naming specific team members, but speculation points to potential transfers from the Cyberpunk 2077 team, released in 2020. This, combined with theories suggesting a Phantom Liberty-style skill tree in The Witcher 4, adds further intrigue to the timeline and the roles these new team members played. The "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" quest, therefore, wasn't just a simple add-on; it was a carefully orchestrated step in the creation of The Witcher 4.
