(Image credit: CD Projekt RED)
The Witcher 4‘s narrative head is committed to retaining some of the standout elements from The Witcher 3, particularly those incredible, multi-dimensional side quests. Philipp Weber, who began his journey with The Witcher 3 as a quest designer, shared in an interview with GamesRadar+ that his first significant feedback from the studio was, “We don’t do fetch quests.” This guiding principle remains a cornerstone as Weber now leads the story development for the much-anticipated sequel.
Side quests in The Witcher 3 significantly elevated the game above others in its genre, ranging from amusing, brief engagements to complex, detailed hour-long adventures that could have seamlessly fit into the main narrative. Pawel Sasko, who was then a quest designer and is now the director of Cyberpunk 2, emphasized that the aim was to emulate the experience of engrossing in a captivating book.
Creating a vast world brimming with such rich tales is undoubtedly challenging. Weber noted that each designer proposed “10 times as many ideas as those that actually made it to the game,” reflecting the immense brainstorming required before landing on something impactful like the iconic Bloody Baron questline.
While CD Projekt Red is certainly building on what worked well in The Witcher 3 for The Witcher 4, they have also been clear about not reusing the same formula repeatedly. There’s a hopeful desire for the team to achieve a harmonious blend of familiar and fresh content.
The lead for The Witcher 4 is “pretty confident” about the upcoming series: “We know how to handle it […] we made it popular.” Fans can stay updated with weekly digests, stories from beloved communities, and more.