Witcher 4: Dev Team's Journey to Prepare for Prequel Title

A Witcher 4 Genesis: How a Witcher 3 Side Quest Prepared the Team

The development of The Witcher 4, featuring Ciri in a leading role and launching a new trilogy, began surprisingly with a seemingly minor addition to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Two years before the Witcher 4's announcement, a side quest titled "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" was released. This wasn't just a simple add-on; it served as a crucial onboarding experience for new members joining the Witcher 4 development team.

The quest, released in late 2022, provided a compelling in-game reason for acquiring Henry Cavill's armor from the Netflix series, cleverly promoting the Witcher 3 next-gen update. However, according to narrative director Philipp Webber (previously a quest designer on Witcher 3), its significance extended far beyond marketing. He described it as the "perfect start to getting back into the vibe," serving as an initiation for new designers and writers joining the franchise. This aligns perfectly with the March 2022 announcement of The Witcher 4, suggesting the quest's development coincided with early team building for the new project.

While Webber refrained from naming specific team members, it's plausible that some 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 that of Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty expansion.

In essence, the seemingly minor "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" quest played a significant, behind-the-scenes role in shaping the foundation for The Witcher 4's development, seamlessly integrating new talent into the established world and setting the stage for Ciri's upcoming solo adventure.