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. Two years prior to the game's reveal, a special side quest, "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow," served as an onboarding experience for new members of the Witcher 4 development team.
Originally released in May 2015, The Witcher 3 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" 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. According to Philipp Webber, quest designer for Witcher 3 and narrative director for Witcher 4, this quest acted as a crucial initiation for new team members.
Webber highlighted the quest's role in re-establishing the series' atmosphere, stating it was "the perfect start to getting back into the vibe." This aligns with the March 2022 announcement of Witcher 4, roughly nine months before the side quest's release. While pre-announcement planning undoubtedly existed, the quest offers insight into 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 (released in 2020). This timing also fuels speculation about Witcher 4's potential inclusion of a Phantom Liberty-style skill tree. The side quest's function as an onboarding process for new developers provides a compelling narrative backdrop to the game's development.
