The Witcher 4: Dev Prepares for Epic Journey

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

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 before the Witcher 4's reveal, a special quest, "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow," was added to Witcher 3. This wasn't just a simple update; it served as a crucial onboarding experience for new members joining 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 upcoming sequel. The "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" quest, launched in late 2022, provided a canonical justification for in-game armor previously seen in Netflix's Witcher series. More importantly, according to narrative director Philipp Webber (formerly quest designer for Witcher 3), this quest acted as an initiation for new team members, allowing them to immerse themselves in the Witcher universe before diving into Witcher 4's development.

Webber described the quest as "the perfect start to getting back into the vibe," aligning perfectly with the Witcher 4's March 2022 announcement. While pre-announcement planning undoubtedly existed, the quest provides a tangible starting point for integrating new talent. While Webber didn't name specific individuals, it's plausible some were transferred from the Cyberpunk 2077 team, considering its 2020 release. This timeline also fuels speculation about potential similarities between Witcher 4's skill tree and Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty expansion. The quest, therefore, served not only as a game update, but as a vital bridge between past projects and the future of the Witcher saga.