The Witcher 4 Dev Explains How the Team Prepared to Work on the Long-Awaited Title

A Witcher 4 Genesis: How a Witcher 3 Side Quest Launched a New Trilogy

The development of The Witcher 4, starring Ciri in 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 a crucial onboarding experience for new members of the Witcher 4 development team.

Initially released in May 2015, The Witcher 3 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, ostensibly promoted the game's next-gen update and provided in-game justification for Henry Cavill's armor from the Netflix series.

Philipp Webber, Witcher 3's quest designer and now Witcher 4's narrative director, 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, the side quest provides insight into the team's practical approach to integrating new talent.

Although Webber didn't name specific individuals, it's plausible that some team members transitioned 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 Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty expansion. The side quest, therefore, wasn't merely a minor update; it served as a foundational element in the creation of the next chapter in the Witcher saga.